【Sword Rises in the Deep Clouds】Episodes 6-10 Author: Purple House Demon Love

【Sword Rises in the Deep Clouds】
Author: Purple House Demon Love
Publisher: Hetu Culture

【Volume 6】Chapter 1: Bloodshed

Just as Quan Jizhong was becoming increasingly smug and his words increasingly hurtful, Ji Pingyi, who had initially only been angry and was already considering whether to kill him to silence him, a cold and calm voice rang out from the door.

A light knocking sound followed, immediately forcing Quan Jizhong's voice back down.

"I just slept a little late, unlike you all who don't want to rest in the middle of the night, just gathering in Madam Ji's room and making a huge fuss. What does that have to do with being a coward? All you do is sneak into other people's rooms and shout and fight when women aren't dressed. Only you are such a coward who bullies weak women..."

Quan Jizhong couldn't believe his ears and turned around in a daze, only to see Wu Yu leaning against the door, looking completely unconcerned. His fingers were lightly tapping on the door, the rhythmic sound gently echoing in the room, calming everyone's restless hearts.

"You...you...when?"

Unexpectedly, Wu Yu, who should have been hiding in bed trembling, had somehow appeared behind everyone. He leaned against the door looking extremely relaxed, his clothes were neat and tidy, and he was only yawning slightly. He really looked like he had just been woken up, as if he had only just heard about what had just happened in the room.

He had been staring at the bed since he entered, fearing he might get up and cause trouble. Unexpectedly, the person had appeared behind him. Quan Jizhong was startled and turned around to see that the blankets beside Shao Xueqian were still trembling, confirming that the person inside hadn't moved at all. "You...when did you get out? How is that possible?"

"What do you mean, 'got out'? I really don't know what you're talking about, Quan Jizhong!"

Annoyed, Wu Yu tugged at his hair, seemingly oblivious to the beautiful scene on the bed. He glared coldly at Quan Jizhong. "I was sleeping soundly, but you kept me awake. Are you really so bored that you can't stand not disturbing someone's sleep? If you have so much time, why don't you study how to strengthen the defenses here? Do you really think that after the enemy breaks in, only your Yuanxiong Fortress will be spared?"

Unexpectedly... Quan Jizhong, who had been certain of catching the adulterer in bed, was utterly astonished to find the lover standing unharmed in the distance. His jaw nearly dropped. He turned back, still wanting to find fault with Shao Xueqian, since even if he hadn't managed to ruin Wu Yu's reputation, he should at least have brought Shao Xueqian down with her. Otherwise, his elaborate scheme to fail was a minor matter; Wu Yu's current questioning was already unbearable, not to mention Shi Jian, who was watching intently, his expression shifting yet tinged with admiration—a truly unbelievable spectacle.

Knowing Shi Jian's nature, he knew he'd seize this opportunity to thoroughly punish Quan Jizhong, so he couldn't help but try to fight back.

However, his efforts were in vain when the woman beside Shao Xueqian, amidst the clamor of the crowd, finally peeked out.

Xin Wanyi peeked out, her face flushed. It was hard to tell whether it was from the heat of being under the covers, the shame of being seen in public, or even the lingering afterglow of her passionate encounter with Shao Xueqian. Her peek immediately put everyone's minds at ease.

If Shao Xueqian had slept with another man, Quan Jizhong would have already prepared plenty of reasons to make her suffer. But the person snuggled close to Shao Xueqian in bed was Xin Wanyi, a woman herself. Even officials didn't shy away from the idea of women sleeping together and playing pranks. After all, no matter what women did, it wouldn't cause any trouble. If this was the case among officials and Confucian scholars, it was even more true for martial arts practitioners who didn't care about details. Such playful interactions between women had nothing to do with reputation.

In truth, only Wu Yu, Xin Wanyi's husband, had the right to speak. Everyone else was just meddling, and even Jin Xianyu could only touch his nose and subconsciously take a few steps back.

"I say, Madam Ji,"

Wu Yu said casually, his expression a mix of amusement and bitterness on his face as he saw his wife snuggling with Shao Xueqian. He shook his head, saying, "You and Wanyi have been best friends for life. What you do is none of my business, nor do I care... But to make such a fuss over something so trivial, turning it into such a huge spectacle, is a bit outrageous..."

"I... I didn't want it to get this big!"

Shao Xueqian, embarrassed and ashamed, finally managed to speak when Wu Yu appeared. "How could Xueqian want to see others making such a fuss? You... you've gone too far... Look how ashamed Wanyi is..."

Ji Pingyi let out a soft sigh. He hadn't expected that not only him, but also Zhu Yuhan and Jie Mingyan beside him, all simultaneously let out a long sigh. Like grains of sand forming a tower, this long, relieved sigh was immediately heard by everyone, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly, patting Zhu Yuhan's slender hand to indicate that she no longer needed to support him.

Although the situation was somewhat awkward, Ji Pingyi's mood was far less shocked and shaken than when he had broken down the door.

If his mother had truly cheated on him, as her son, he truly wouldn't know how to handle the situation, and he wouldn't know where to put his face.

But now it was proven that what happened in bed just now was nothing more than a game between Xin Wanyi and Shao Xueqian. As women, nothing serious could possibly happen between them. Besides, Shao Xueqian and Xin Wanyi had known each other for decades and were already very close friends. Such a small matter as sharing a bed was really nothing. Calming down, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. In his panic just now, he had actually thought of killing her to cover it up. He had really overthought things.

Xin Wanyi had peeked out, clearing her mother's name. Ji Pingyi lowered his head, speechless. In his panic, he had even secretly resented his mother for causing this mess, and being caught red-handed by the troublemaker Quan Jizhong, making him, as her son, utterly humiliated.

Now that the truth was out, he felt deeply ashamed of his thoughts. Ji Pingyi, head bowed, was about to leave the room when he was suddenly grabbed. Startled, he saw Shi Jian holding his sleeve. He jerked away, only to see Wu Yu coldly watching Quan Jizhong, whose face flushed and paled, his intentions unclear. This made him stop in his tracks.

His scheme had completely failed. The immense contrast between extreme excitement and utter despair left Quan Jizhong in utter agony. His eyes widened in disbelief, but even with his eyeballs bulging out, there was nothing he could do. Quan Jizhong was so angry he almost vomited blood.

Initially, when Jin Xianyu gleefully told him he had discovered Shao Xueqian and Wu Yu's affair, Quan Jizhong hadn't fully believed him. But when Park Zhongrui and Jin Xianyu relentlessly pursued him and finally gave him confirmation, Quan Jizhong was overjoyed.

Even if he couldn't take Shao Xueqian as his concubine or make Qilan Manor his vassal, as Park Zhongrui had promised, just being able to legitimately kill Wu Yu would be enough to make him happy.

Unexpectedly, things didn't go as planned; Wu Yu had ambushed him from behind.

Although it wouldn't be good for Shao Xueqian to have affairs with other women if word got out, it was worlds apart from infidelity, and he had no right to interfere.

He glared hatefully at Shao Xueqian on the bed, only to see that she had regained her composure. Although she wasn't dressed, the quilt covered her completely, so not a trace of her body could be seen.

He knew he had made a huge mistake this time. If it hadn't come from Jin Xianyu, who knew that even if his disciple was bold, he wouldn't betray his master, Quan Jizhong would have truly believed that Shi Jian and Shao Xueqian had set a trap for him!

He spat angrily, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave: "This time... you've escaped this time! Sooner or later, I'll still find out your true colors, hmph!"

Unexpectedly, Quan Jizhong was quite nonchalant, walking out without a word of apology. Shi Jian was dumbfounded, never expecting that the tense atmosphere in the room, which seemed ready to erupt at any moment, would be so easily dispelled by Wu Yu's appearance and a few words.

To be honest, after the commotion, Quan Jizhong's relentless pursuit seemed to indicate a complete disregard for the bigger picture and a deliberate attempt to escalate the situation beyond control. Seeing Ji Pingyi's clenched fists and pained expression, he almost thought a dramatic internal conflict was about to unfold!

Angrily squeezing past Wu Yu, Quan Jizhong was about to step out of the room when suddenly a tremendous force pulled him back from behind his collar. Before he could even muster the strength to resist, the force dragged him back into the room. As he moved, a strange force penetrated from behind his collar, rushing straight into the meridians of Quan Jizhong's limbs.

Although his vital point on the back of his neck had been seized, Quan Jizhong's skill was not to be underestimated. He hurriedly tried to circulate his internal energy to resist, but his opponent seemed to have anticipated this move. The opponent used force to pull and guide Quan Jizhong's internal energy, forcing him to lose his footing and fall to the floor of the room. Even the steel whip he never let go of was kicked aside by Wu Yu.
"You... how dare you be so rude? Apologize!"

Knowing that he had lost face at Yuanxiong Fortress this time, Jin Xianyu touched his nose and wanted to follow Quan Jizhong as he turned to leave the room. He wondered how his master would punish him when they got out.

He should have known better than to compete for this credit!

If he had said from the beginning that he had learned the news from Park Jong-seo, even if he was punished, at least his senior brother would have stood in front of him. But he didn't expect Wu Yu to drag Quan Jizhong back and throw him hard to the ground, even kicking away the steel whip.

Such a blatant provocation was something Yuanxiong Fort hadn't seen in decades. His initial embarrassment turned to fury, and he immediately roared,

"Rude? Nothing is more rude than this from Yuanxiong Fort!"

With a cold snort, Wu Yu's disdainful gaze swept over Quan Jizhong, who was slumped on the ground, his face both red and blue, seemingly about to explode. "There's clearly nothing serious, yet you've mobilized a large group to barge into the women's quarters. Knowing you're wrong, you haven't even offered an apology. Do you think you can escape so brazenly? Is this the etiquette of Yuanxiong Fort?"

"I...I..."

Stunned by Wu Yu's words, Jin Xianyu opened and closed his mouth several times, but ultimately remained speechless.

This time, Yuanxiong Fortress was indeed in the wrong, and it was no wonder that Wu Yu was so confident. Although they knew that Wu Yu was just using this as an excuse to completely crush Yuanxiong Fortress's morale, their side was in the wrong, so they had nothing to say in their argument. With their momentum completely crushed, Jin Xianyu even forgot to help his master up and just stood there obediently, not even daring to raise his head after being scolded by Wu Yu. Not to mention the others.

"You...you bastard...how dare you..."

Thrown to the ground, he felt as if his meridians were reversed, and for a moment his internal energy could not circulate properly. Although Quanjizhong was surprised by Wu Yu's high level of martial arts, it was probably even higher than he had imagined. In their battle that day, Wu Yu had clearly been hiding his strength, but his shame and anger had been exposed, and Quanjizhong's anger had long since overwhelmed everything else, so he dared not lash out at Wu Yu. Quan

Jizhong, who had just turned his head, intended to say something, but seeing that Shao Xueqian, though hiding her delicate body under the covers, was slender and lacked any imposing presence when completely concealed, he couldn't bring himself to apologize.

"Third brother, are you just going to watch someone bully your brother like this?"

Although he knew Wu Yu was in the right, his actions were still too much. Quan Jizhong had thought that since Shi Jian disliked him, he wouldn't let outsiders bully his sworn brother like this. However, Shi Jian shook his head, sighed, and looked at him with a sad expression of disappointment.

"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, you...you've gone too far! How can your older brother protect you? What kind of time is this? How can you be so disregard for the bigger picture and deliberately stir up trouble? What good will it do you to cause the Weitian Alliance to split apart?"

Hearing Shi Jian's words, not only was Quan Jizhong's eyes wide with shock, but everyone else seemed stunned, especially Shao Xueqian, who knew Shi Jian's style all along. She almost dropped the hand holding the brocade quilt.

In the past, not only Shi Jian, but also the sworn brothers of the Weitian Alliance, out of brotherhood, had never spoken a harsh word to Quan Jizhong. Even if he was rude, they would only tolerate him wholeheartedly. Shi Jian, in particular, was very gentle. When had they ever heard Shi Jian say such harsh words?

Apart from Ji Pingyi exchanging a surprised glance with Wu Yu, who was confident, everyone else was clueless. Clearly, Quan Jizhong had really gone too far this time, making Shi Jian unable to bear it any longer. All the anger he had accumulated over the years had erupted at once.

Completely unexpectedly, at this moment, Shi Jian, his supposed brother, not only failed to speak up for him but also adopted the airs of an elder brother, lecturing him arrogantly. Quan Jizhong's anger flared. If

a brother had gone this far, it was better to just forget about him!

He suddenly sprang to his feet, even discarding the steel whip Wu Yu had kicked away, and roared, "What nonsense are you spouting! Is this how brothers act? Only helping outsiders? How can someone like you be worthy of being Quan Jizhong's brother? Zhong Rui, Xian Yu, take everyone and leave! We're not going to care about them anymore!"

Glaring angrily at Wu Yu, whose lips still held a cold smile, Quan Jizhong used his internal energy to protect himself and forced his way past him.

He had been caught off guard earlier, not because his martial arts were inferior to Wu Yu's. This time, Quan Jizhong was prepared; no matter how high Wu Yu's martial arts were or how unpredictable his attacks, stopping him would be extremely difficult!

Quan Jizhong cursed inwardly: "How dare they offend this fortress like this! Just wait and see how the weak forces of Yuanxiong Fortress, Yixin Garden and Qilan Manor, will cope with Yang Ting's powerful army! Even if you haven't suffered a complete defeat and are badly wounded, you'll still have to come begging to Yuanxiong Fortress. Whether I'll help you then will depend on my mood!"

As if seeing through Quan Jizhong's preparations, Wu Yu smiled coldly but didn't stop him. He simply made way for Quan Jizhong to squeeze through. Quan Jizhong, who

had already taken a few steps outside the door, suddenly realized something was wrong. He turned around and saw Park Jong-seo with his arms crossed, eyes closed, head bowed, his feet rooted to the ground, showing no intention of taking another step. Even Kim Hyun-woo, though looking bewildered, obediently stood beside Park Jong-seo, his mouth opening and closing in vain without uttering a word, as if his pressure points had been sealed.

"Jong-seo, Hyun-woo, you two have rebelled! Call everyone, we're going back to Yuanxiong Fortress! Do you hear me?"

Seeing Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo remain unmoved, Quan Jizhong was startled. Though he shouted angrily, his voice trembled slightly at the end.

While Yuanxiong Fortress was numerous and powerful, and even in a direct confrontation, the combined forces of Yixin Garden and Qilan Manor were not a threat, Quan Jizhong had previously redeployed his disciples to the outer sect to adjust defenses. Now, apart from Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo, none of the other disciples were present. Quan Jizhong never imagined that his two disciples would rebel at this crucial moment.

"What are you still standing there for? Don't you even listen to your master anymore?"

"As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words,"

Park Jong-seo glanced at Jeon Ji-chung, his voice cold and chilling, so cold in the winter night that it seemed to freeze one's soul. It was not like a disciple facing his master, but rather like enemies meeting. "However Master treats his elders with respect, we disciples should treat Master with the same respect. Since Master doesn't even understand the simple principle of respecting elders, how can we respect our teacher?"

"You...you actually dare...how dare you do this..."

So angry that he couldn't even speak clearly, Jeon Ji-chung had never really liked this eldest disciple. He had only taken Park Jong-seo under his wing because of their sworn brotherhood.

As the eldest disciple, he had never been favored by either his first disciple, Kim Hyun-woo, or his third disciple, Lee Ki-jun. He never expected that Park Jong-seo, who had always been submissive, would choose this moment to rebel! And to make matters worse, Lee Ki-jun was already dead, and Kim Hyun-woo, for some unknown reason, didn't even utter a word of rebuttal to Park Jong-seo's words.

Quan Jizhong was furious. "You disrespect your elders, deliberately stirring up trouble, completely oblivious to the time? You even dare to bully your sister-in-law like this! How can things be accomplished without teaching her a lesson?"

Shi Jian glanced at Wu Yu, who stood to the side, seemingly unconcerned about making a move, and was slightly startled.

He had assumed that Quan Jizhong's words and actions would infuriate not only Shao Xueqian on the bed, but also Wu Yu, given Wu Yu's past attitude towards Quan Jizhong and the force of that fall. He expected Wu Yu to actively seek revenge against Quan Jizhong. However, seeing Quan Jizhong abandoned by everyone, Wu Yu remained unmoved, merely watching the show from the sidelines. Shi Jian had no choice but to step forward, "Fifth brother, fifth brother, I have no choice... I must clean house today."

"Clean house? Third brother Shi, are you out of your mind?" Quan Jizhong

glared angrily at his traitorous disciple, never expecting the situation to change so quickly. In an instant, he had slipped from readily available power and prestige to a position where he had to fight for survival.

Just as Shi Jian spoke, everyone rushed out the door. Park Jong-seo turned around, forming a triangular shape with Ji Pingyi, and with Shi Jian leading the way, they surrounded him.

Quan Jizhong's mind raced. He immediately realized that given the relationship between Park Jong-seo and Seok-geon, this eldest disciple had clearly already defected to Seok-geon's side, waiting for the right moment to strike and destroy him completely.

One thought leads to a hundred; now that things had come to this, Quan Jizhong finally understood. This was a trap set by Park Jong-seo and Seok-geon, waiting for him to decide to catch them in the act, and he would fall into their trap.

If Kim Hyun-woo hadn't remained standing at the door, his expression clearly indicating he was under pressure, and if Shao Xueqian's earlier shame and anger hadn't been so unnatural, he would have thought that Kim Hyun-woo and Qilan Manor were also involved in this conspiracy!

However, facing Seok-geon and with the traitor Park Jong-seo behind him, Quan Jizhong knew victory was unlikely, but escaping unscathed wouldn't be difficult.

If Qilan Manor wasn't involved in the conspiracy, Ji Pingyi's presence behind him was likely just a pretense, his fighting spirit wavering. This would be a perfect opportunity to break through from him, allowing him to escape alone and perhaps even inflict a serious injury on the brat.

Once he escaped and rejoined the other disciples of Yuanxiong Fortress, retreating back inside, no matter how powerful Shi Jian and Wu Yu were, they wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest. "Shi Laosan, you've been plotting for so long, thinking you could keep me here? Don't even think about it. Come on then, with my whip in hand, let's see who can stop me!"

The words had barely left his lips when the wind whistled past his ears. Quan Jizhong whirled around, his right hand outstretched, narrowly catching the steel whip. He saw Wu Yu standing beside him, arms crossed, leaning against the door, looking like he was waiting for a good show.

Although the weapon was back in his hand, the pressure on Quan Jizhong only increased.

If Wu Yu had kept his weapon, it meant that while Shi Jian and the others intended to kill him, they were still wary of his martial arts skills. If he had been able to snatch the steel whip from Park Jong-seo at the outset, even if victory was unlikely, he would still have had a chance to escape unscathed.

But now Wu Yu had generously returned the steel whip to him, and it hadn't been tampered with at all. This was not out of kindness, but a clear indication that regardless of whether he had a weapon or not, these people were determined to kill him. Even if Quan Jizhong went all out, they were still very confident of killing him.

Quan Jizhong felt a bitter taste in his mouth, and his hand holding the steel whip was slightly sweaty. Although he had always looked down on Shi Jian, he knew that Shi Jian was exceptionally intelligent. Since he had decided to attack him, the people from Yuanxiong Fortress outside must have had backup plans. Even if he fought his way out, he would only face numerous dangers, and escaping alive would be difficult.

Moreover, although Park Jong-seo wasn't highly regarded by him, he was still nominally the senior disciple. Apart from Kim Hyun-woo and the deceased Lee Ki-jun, no one else in Yuanxiong Fortress could challenge his authority in name. Judging from Kim Hyun-woo's appearance, he seemed to have his pressure points sealed. If he fell here, Shi Jian could take over Yuanxiong Fortress through Park Jong-seo. At that time, Qilan Manor would be weak and isolated, and unable to see through Shi Jian's true colors. Weitian Alliance would likely become Shi Jian's plaything.

Thinking of this, Quan Jizhong became increasingly indignant, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him.

Ever since Lee Ki-jun's body was brought back, Quan Jizhong had been suspicious. Looking at Lee Ki-jun's injuries, apart from the serious injuries he sustained when he died with his enemy, the truly fatal wound was the "Endless Torrent" secret technique, whose power was no less than Shi Jian's. Compared to the strength of the opponent that Wu Yu and Shao Xueqian had mentioned earlier, it seemed to be even stronger.

He had initially been deceived by Wu Yu's explanation. He reasoned that while the Shadow Sword Sect possessed such a master, their failure to target him or Shi Jian, and instead their deaths at the hands of Li Qijun, made Wu Yu's explanation plausible. However, now that the balance of power was clear, and considering Shi Jian's prior preparations, the true culprits were not from the Shadow Sword Sect, but rather Tai Shixuan and Situ Xiang, who had died in battle that day!

Even if Li Qijun had truly faced Shi Jian, his martial arts, though inferior, would have taken dozens of moves to defeat. Quan Jizhong had absolute confidence in his own martial arts and the way he taught his disciples. Yet, judging from Li Qijun's injuries, he had taken a single blow without resistance. It seemed that Tai Shixuan and Situ Xiang had secretly attacked him during the fierce battle.

Although their martial arts were far inferior to Shi Jian's, since Li Qijun was unprepared, their combined strength, in terms of raw power, should not have been much weaker than Shi Jian's. No wonder Li Qijun was caught off guard and fell victim to their attack.

Thinking of this, Quan Jizhong couldn't help but spit out his tongue.

Originally, Yang Ting had murdered his own brothers, and in his eyes, everyone from the Shadow Sword Sect should have been torn to pieces. But unintentionally, it was the people of the Shadow Sword Sect who avenged his disciple. Just thinking about how Taishi Xuan died without a trace, and the bitter expression on Shi Jian's face when he saw the corpses of Taishi Xuan and Situ Xiang, Quan Jizhong couldn't help but feel somewhat grateful to Ma Xuan.

Staring coldly at Shi Jian and Park Jong-seo, Quan Jizhong's fighting spirit wasn't as strong as it was towards Ji Pingyi, who surrounded them, and Wu Yu, who was watching coldly from the outside. After all, they were just as foolish as him, completely unable to see the treacherous heart beneath Shi Jian's kind face. If he died today, it would be their turn sooner or later. Although Wu Yu and he didn't get along, and their life and death were none of his business, Quan Jizhong still wanted to hold Shi Jian back. In addition, if he could persuade them, he might have a chance to escape. Every extra moment he could live was precious.

"Don't gloat here,"

Quan Jizhong said coldly, glancing at Ji Pingyi and Wu Yu. The latter remained calm and indifferent, while the former seemed hesitant. Quan Jizhong brandished his steel whips, which whistled through the air, and struck a fighting pose. "You'd better put down that traitor Park Jong-seo. This Shi Jian is no good. You just wait and see. If I die here today, tomorrow your Qilan Manor will be in trouble!"

"If you're going to die, then die. Why waste your breath?"

Wu Yu sneered, interrupting Quan Jizhong. He even nodded to Shao Xueqian, who had just finished dressing and was standing at the door, unsure whether to come out or not, signaling her not to interfere. "I'm returning your steel whip, Master Quan, to make your death more willing. Don't go to the underworld and only remember complaining about dying empty-handed and unwilling. As for the Mighty Alliance... without Master Quan, the most unstable factor is gone. Everyone will get along well from now on. Why do you need to worry about it?"

Hearing Wu Yu speak so decisively and without mercy, Ji Pingyi was taken aback. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at Shi Jian, who was completely focused on Quan Jizhong and didn't even respond to Quan Jizhong's provocative words. Then he turned to look at Wu Yu, only to find that the latter was also looking at him.

As their eyes met, his hesitation met his determination. Ji Pingyi silently exhaled, gripped his longsword tightly, and assumed a stance towards Quan Jizhong. He didn't need any reason like "cleaning up the family"; just thinking about Quan Jizhong's past attitude towards his mother, Ji Pingyi felt the killing intent in his sword. He unleashed his power against Quan Jizhong without reservation, and his thoughts no longer needed to be explained in words.

"Hmph!"

Ji Pingyi and Wu Yu were so foolish that they couldn't even see the threat posed by Shi Jian. They completely misunderstood his good intentions. Ji Pingyi was furious and didn't bother trying to persuade these two idiots anymore. He thought to himself, "When Shi Jian, who has gained control of Yixin Garden and Yuanxiong Fortress and whose power has greatly increased, reveals his true colors and takes over Qilan Manor, let's see what they can do then." Wu Yu's martial arts were high enough, and Ji Pingyi had the support of the Junshan Sect, so they could very well threaten Shi Jian's position. They probably couldn't be kept alive.

But Shi Jian's wife, Xie Mingyan, was also very beautiful. He was probably a lecherous man. Once Qilan Manor was under his control, Shao Xueqian's fate would probably only be to be pinned down by Shi Jian and suffer humiliation and forced to submit to his pleasure.

However, judging from Shao Xueqian's alluring demeanor in bed just now, this "Cold Moon Fairy" must be a woman with unsatisfied desires despite her dignified and noble appearance. The thought of her being forced to fawn over Shi Jian in bed, becoming his plaything, stirred a strange excitement within Quan Jizhong. "A bunch of idiots, destroying your own defenses! It'll be too late for you to regret it. I'll wait and see what fate awaits your Qilan Manor!"

"Fifth brother, you still won't admit your mistake? Do you think you can escape death by empty words and verbal sparring?"

Shaking his head, seemingly dissatisfied with Quan Jizhong's reaction, Shi Jian sighed deeply, his tone filled with anger towards his unprogressive sworn brother. Yet, as he spoke, a slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

"Originally, Third Brother wanted to spare your life, but I didn't expect you to ignore my advice and be so determined to make such a big fuss. Could it be... could it be that you really want to see the Mighty Heaven Alliance split apart?"

"So that Third Master may know," Quan Jizhong said

, holding a steel whip in his hand, his beard and hair standing on end, looking as majestic as a god descending to earth. Shi Jian, on the other hand, looked at him coldly, his palms already in a fighting stance. With the surge of energy, the atmosphere in the arena was already cold and oppressive, and he knew that the two sides were about to fight.

Park Jong-seo, who rarely spoke, coughed and said, "The Fortress Lord has always looked down on others, and was only a bit arrogant. But these past few days, it seems the Fortress Lord is determined to force the Mighty Heaven Alliance to split, and has even prepared to keep Yuanxiong Fortress out of the fray. After the news of Third Junior Brother's death reached us, he ordered Junior Brother Yi and me to make preparations to retreat to Yuanxiong Fortress..."

"What did you say?"

Startled, Shi Jian remained composed, his attention unwavering. It was unclear whether he was truly calm enough to remain unmoved even in the face of a collapsing mountain, or if he was mentally prepared for the actions of Quanji. Only his voice rose sharply, like the cawing of a magpie in the night, "Could it be... that it's true? Nephew Jin, tell me, could it really be... really..."

"Cough...cough, it's true, but..."

Kim Hyun-woo, still in a daze and unaware that his acupoints had been sealed, was startled when Shi Jian actually asked him that question. He realized the acupoints on his body had been released and hurriedly answered Shi Jian's question. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized something was wrong. Jeon Ji-jung had indeed said those words that day, but they were spoken in anger and grief upon learning of Lee Ki-jun's death.

Although he hadn't offered much advice, Jeon Ji-jung withdrew the order once he calmed down. He hadn't expected Park Jong-seo to use it against him. He didn't even understand what Shi Jian's question meant. He only felt a numbness in his waist; his acupoints had been sealed again.

Having somehow ended up standing beside Jin Xianyu, Shi Jian's third disciple, Rao Qianyi, nodded to his master and withdrew his hand from behind Jin Xianyu's waist. Shi Jian swayed slightly, seemingly shocked by Quan Jizhong's command, yet his aura remained undiminished. Even this shock didn't seem to shake his already unified spirit. "Fifth brother, you...you actually..." Shi Jian

glared at Quan Jizhong through gritted teeth, taking a long time to catch his breath before continuing, "Third brother originally thought you were just arrogant and conceited, not paying attention to others..." "People are just a matter of personal feelings, after all, it's just a habit among martial artists. Originally, Third Brother didn't take it seriously either, but I didn't expect you... you actually had this intention all along... Actually, as soon as the news came back, Third Brother knew that there must be a traitor in the alliance. He was afraid of hurting the brothers' harmony, so he suppressed the matter for the time being and only secretly investigated to see if there was any room for reconciliation. I didn't expect it to be you... you leaked the information. Otherwise, how could you have been prepared so early? The moment you heard that the enemy had been exposed, you immediately prepared to retreat. You... you really disappoint me too much..."

"You... you're talking nonsense!"

Originally, he knew that Shi Jian had the intention to kill him. In order to facilitate Park Jong-seo's takeover of the Yuanxiong Fort's forces, he would definitely smear him and pin all sorts of accusations on him. Quan Jizhong originally thought of enduring it for the time being and clarifying the situation after escaping. He didn't expect Shi Jian to even put such a smear on him. How could he tolerate this?

Quan Jizhong had only spoken in anger, and had forgotten about it afterward. Who would have thought it would become a reason for the other party to shamelessly frame him? Unfortunately, he wasn't as eloquent as Shi Jian, and in his anger, his tongue became even more clumsy. For a moment, he was red-faced and swollen with rage, pointing a dagger at Shi Jian, unable to utter a single word.

"Hmph, the facts are clear, you have nothing to say now, do you? To be worthy of my elder brother and Yi-yi's spirits in heaven, today Shi Jian will clean house!"

Seeing Quan Jizhong too angry to speak, Shi Jian seized the opportunity, striking with both palms.

He knew this battle was no small matter; to survive, Quan Jizhong would undoubtedly go all out. Therefore, he immediately unleashed his ultimate move, "Endless Torrent," using all his strength. The powerful gale instantly made it difficult for others to breathe, even forcing Park Jong-seo to retreat several steps. Turning his head, he saw that Ji Pingyi had retreated even further.

Although the brothers had sparred before, they always kept their brotherhood in mind and only went so far as to use their full strength and skill, never stopping until they killed each other.

As soon as they clashed, Quan Jizhong felt the overwhelming aura of the enemy. He was startled. Although he knew that Shi Jian's "Endless Torrent" was a peerless skill, its fierce and powerful nature almost unmatched in the martial arts world, he hadn't taken it seriously before. Firstly, Shi Jian was known for his intelligence and cunning, which made him easy to underestimate in the martial arts world. Secondly, Quan Jizhong's own steel whip was also known for its fierceness. He hadn't taken it seriously at first. But after exchanging blows, he realized that Shi Jian's martial arts were far superior and his attacks were far more ferocious than he had imagined.

Quan Jizhong originally wanted to retain some strength so that he could find an opportunity to break through Ji Pingyi or Park Jong-seo's defenses and escape from Yixin Garden. After all, apart from Wu Yu and Shi Jian, even Shao Xueqian's martial arts were inferior to his own. As long as he got rid of these two, escaping would not be difficult. However, Shi Jian saw through his intentions and attacked with all his might from the beginning, as if he intended to finish him off in a few moves. In just a few moves, he forced Quan Jizhong to change his mind and use all his strength to deal with Shi Jian's killing moves.

If they had truly gone all out, Quan Jizhong wouldn't have been much weaker than Shi Jian. However, firstly, Quan Jizhong had misjudged his opponent and had fallen into a trap, inevitably feeling frustrated. Secondly, he hadn't used his full strength at the beginning, and by the time he realized something was wrong, he was already at a disadvantage. Even with his best efforts, he couldn't reverse the tide. After six or seven moves, Quan Jizhong found his steel whip techniques becoming increasingly difficult to execute, as he was forced to keep his head down by the force of Shi Jian's moves. Surprised, he had no choice but to unleash his most powerful techniques. He truly possessed profound skill with the steel whip, and for a time, the two were evenly matched.

On the surface, it appeared to be a draw, but Quan Jizhong was not at all pleased. After all, they had been sworn brothers for decades and knew each other inside and out. If Shi Jian was truly interested, his steel whip skills, apart from a few rarely used secret techniques, held little secret for him. And these most powerful secret techniques were profound skills that even Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo had not yet been taught.

Quan Jizhong originally planned to suddenly unleash his attack and kill Shi Jian in a flash, hoping to defeat this powerful enemy and turn the tide of the battle, forcing others to remain silent with his martial arts skills. However, Shi Jian narrowly accepted the attack, and although he managed to turn the tide, he could not escape.

If it were just the two of them fighting, even if escape was difficult, they could simply wear each other down and see whether Shi Jian's "Endless Torrent" was superior or Quan Jizhong's steel whip was more valiant. But now, while Shi Jian could wear them down,

Quan Jizhong couldn't, especially since several other opponents were watching closely. The traitor Park Jong-seo and the junior Ji Pingyi were manageable; even if they were exhausted in a fierce battle, Quan Jizhong didn't believe he would lose to these juniors. Even if Zhu Yuhan, the expert from Yun Shen Pavilion, joined the fray, Quan Jizhong was confident of victory.

But now, even Shao Xueqian had straightened her clothes, stood by with her sword, and watched the battle. Although he knew Shao Xueqian's martial arts were inferior to his own, she couldn't be ignored. He wasn't afraid of her normally, but Quan Jizhong wasn't confident enough to think that after defeating Shi Jian, he would still have the strength to contend with Shao Xueqian.

The reason Yang Ting was able to force Shao Xueqian to fall off the cliff that day was likely due to several factors. Besides the difference in martial arts skill and the sudden attack that threw Shao Xueqian into a panic, Ji Mengying's incompetence and tendency to sabotage things also played a role, forcing Shao Xueqian to expend more effort protecting her and preventing her from fully engaging in combat.

Moreover, even disregarding Shao Xueqian, there was still the unpredictable Wu Yu! Although

the two had clashed before, Wu Yu's iron-forged technique was strange; while his strength wasn't profound, it was unpredictable and unpredictable. Although his pure skill in martial arts inevitably led to a lower level of mastery, he was still a formidable opponent.

Furthermore, Quan Jizhong was experienced in battle and knew the importance of not using all his strength and not letting others see through his abilities. He wondered if Wu Yu had held back some tricks that day. Since Wu Yu dared to underestimate him so much, either Qilan Manor still had reserves, or he was holding back some power; otherwise, pure bluffing wouldn't have fooled him!

The current battle situation no longer allowed for him to ponder Wu Yu's true strength. After all, Quan Jizhong's steel whip fighting style was also based on fierce and powerful tactics with few variations. Despite using all his best moves, he couldn't defeat Shi Jian. Quan Jizhong wasn't discouraged, though he couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed. Moreover, no matter how refined the variations were, they would eventually be figured out after a few more rounds. Gradually, Shi Jian had grasped the key points, and variations were no longer enough to win. It became a pure contest of brute force. As time went on, Quan Jizhong gradually fell into a disadvantageous position again, and this time he had no new moves left to use.

Seeing that Shi Jian was gradually gaining the upper hand, Shao Xueqian knew that although Quan Jizhong's steel whip was fierce, it was powerless to turn the tide.

Although she had often been annoyed by this man in the past, he was still her own brother. Besides, in her opinion, Quan Jizhong was arrogant and proud, and he was not the kind of person to collude with outsiders. Seeing that Shi Jian was not stopping his moves and clearly intended to kill Quan Jizhong, she felt a pang of pity. Just as she was about to call out to stop the fight, she saw Ji Pingyi stand in front of her. On the surface, he was afraid that the earth-shattering wind in the arena would sweep his mother away, but his eyes were thoughtful, and he was asking her not to speak. Shao Xueqian couldn't help but feel a chill. Thinking of Quan Jizhong's attitude towards her son and Yang Rouyi earlier, she could really understand why her son was like this.

The opportunity to call a halt was fleeting. Shao Xueqian's hesitation changed the atmosphere. Shi Jian let out a clear whistle, feinted two moves with his palms to force away Quan Jizhong's steel whip, and then thrust his palm straight in, aiming for Quan Jizhong's chest. The force of the blow arrived even before the palm struck, making it difficult for Quan Jizhong to breathe. He knew that Shi Jian's intent to kill him was burning, and he would not be able to escape this time, so he simply stopped dodging and took the blow head-on. When

the palm struck Quan Jizhong's chest, Shi Jian's expression was not one of joy but surprise.

He already knew each other's strength. Although he knew that Quan Jizhong's morale was low and his fighting spirit had been gradually worn down by time due to Park Jong-seo's betrayal and his own scheming, this battle was already a losing proposition. However, given Quan Jizhong's martial arts skills, if he really wanted to fight to the death, the outcome would take at least another thirty moves. This palm strike was not so easy to land. Yet, when the palm struck, he felt no rebound of energy, clearly indicating that Quan Jizhong did not intend to resist. This abnormality was completely unexpected by Shi Jian. In his surprise, the overwhelming palm force still passed through Quan Jizhong's meridian without any resistance.

"You..."

Although Shi Jian was surprised by the easy success of the palm strike, he remained calm. He pressed his right palm against Quan Jizhong's mouth and intensified the "Endless Torrent" palm force, while his left palm was already withdrawn in front of him, reserving thirty percent of his strength to guard against Quan Jizhong's counterattack before his death. However, he did not expect that Quan Jizhong's counterattack was not aimed at Shi Jian.

He snorted coldly, flicked his right hand, and the steel whip transformed into a streak of light, flying straight towards the edge of the arena. Seeing

Shi Jian succeed, Park Jong-seo, standing on the sidelines, crossed his arms, the steel whip protecting his chest. However

, he hadn't expected that Quan Jizhong's final strike wouldn't be aimed at him, but rather flew towards Kim Hyun-woo, heading straight for Shi Jian's third disciple, Rao Qianyi, in the chest. Completely unexpected, Quan Jizhong's final strike, filled with the rage of betrayal and unspeakable bitterness, wasn't aimed at Shi Jian, nor at his traitor Park Jong-seo, but directly at him.

By the time Rao Qianyi realized what was happening, he had already lost the opportunity to dodge. To make matters worse, in order to subdue Kim Hyun-woo, he had initially stood at the entrance, with Kim Hyun-woo on his right, Wu Yu who had somehow slipped in on his left, and Shao Xueqian standing behind him at the entrance, limiting his space to dodge.

He intended to pull Jin Xianyu in front of him as a shield, but his hand grasped only air. Ji Pingyi had already pulled Jin Xianyu over, and before he could react, Ji Pingyi had no chance to dodge.

Forced into a corner, he could only squat down, concentrate his strength in his palm, and take the full force of Quan Ji Zhong's furious strike head-on. However, Rao Qianyi's martial arts were not only inferior to Shi Jian's, but even to the deceased Tai Shi Xuan and Situ Xiang. In his haste, he only managed to muster six or seven tenths of his strength. Unfortunately, this strike was Quan Ji Zhong's final, furious attack, with all his power concentrated in this steel whip. Even Shi Jian would have to avoid its edge, let alone Rao Qianyi.

The steel whip, though blunt, easily pierced through Rao Qianyi, going straight through his chest.

Seeing the steel whip pierce Rao Qianyi's chest, a wound clearly fatal, Quan Jizhong smiled, then spat out a mouthful of blood, heading straight for Shi Jian. The latter, already wary of Quan Jizhong's last-ditch counterattack, swung his left palm, his sleeve fluttering to block the blood. Blood splattered everywhere, but only soaked his robe without penetrating his clothes, clearly indicating Quan Jizhong's attack was weak, failing even to pierce Shi Jian's sleeve.

The uninjured Shi Jian felt even more desolate. Quan Jizhong hadn't spared a single ounce of strength against him; clearly, his attack on his disciple was a one-way trip, using all his power. Rao Qianyi, having taken the hit head-on, had no hope of survival.

He thought that although he had killed Quan Jizhong, and through Park Jong-seo he had effectively brought Yuanxiong Fort under his control, all his carefully nurtured disciples were now gone.

Although Park Jong-seo was loyal to him, his physique was not suited to the "Endless Torrent" technique. Could it be that although his scheme succeeded and the powerful enemy was defeated, he had also lost all his successors? Thinking of his age, even if he started looking for disciples now, unless he lived a long life, he feared he would never see a disciple inherit his mantle. Shi Jian couldn't help but sigh.

He hadn't expected Quan Jizhong to be so insightful before his death. Killing Rao Qianyi seemed like just venting his anger, but it had cost him the last person to inherit his mantle. Shi Jian was filled with hatred, but his title still remained. Even if he could kill Quan Jizhong in the name of cleaning up the sect, he couldn't destroy the body to vent his anger.

In his hatred and rage, Shi Jian's hands trembled slightly, and he took two steps back. He was only able to fall down thanks to Xie Mingyan's timely support.

"Master... Master..."

He had thought that catching the adulterer in bed would make Yuanxiong Fortress even more famous, but in just half an hour, the situation had completely reversed.

Seeing that Quan Jizhong, though still bearing imposing presence and with his beard and hair standing on end, was indeed dead, Jin Xianyu rushed forward and supported Quan Jizhong's lifeless body, his voice trembling with sobs, "Shi...Shi Laosan, you...you actually dared to kill my master...you..."

"You...you think I was willing?"

His body trembled slightly, and he only managed to stay upright with Xie Mingyan's support. Where was the fierce and strong figure he had been just moments before? Not only was his body weak, but tears streamed down his face, showing that he was in extreme pain.

"He is your master, but he is also my brother! If it weren't for... if it weren't for his deliberate attempt to incite the Weitian Alliance to split, and his disrespect towards my sister-in-law, I, Old Shi, would have no chance of forgiving him, neither for public nor private reasons. How could I have thought... how could I have thought of killing my own brother? How could I have thought of this... Waaah..."

Seeing Shi Jian also in tears, she thought to herself, "I wonder if you, Shi Jian, are grieving the death of Quan Jizhong, or the death of your only remaining disciple, Rao Qianyi?"

But circumstances were beyond their control. Not only was Quan Jizhong gone, but Park Jong-seo, who would rightfully take over Yuanxiong Fortress, was a junior and might not be able to protect him from Shi Jian. Even if Shi Jian wanted to protect his junior brother, the martial arts of Wu Yu, Shi Jian, and Shao Xueqian were far beyond what his fellow disciples could handle. Even with Ji Pingyi and Zhu Yuhan, whose martial arts were a level higher, victory would be difficult for his brothers. Kim Hyun-woo had no choice but to stop crying, supporting his master's body as he slowly retreated, bitterly awaiting Shi Jian's next move.

The powerful figures were gone, and he had no one left to protect him. The more arrogant he had been before, the more lost and fearful he felt now.

Kim Hyun-woo looked at Park Jong-seo with a mixture of fear and hatred. Although the latter also wore a sorrowful expression, it seemed utterly fake. Park Jong-seo bowed deeply to Shi Jian, his voice trembling, but there was no trace of genuine grief in his voice: "When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. I dare not pursue the responsibility for my master's death, Third Master, but as master and disciple, I only hope to first send my master's remains back to Yuanxiong Fortress for a grand funeral, to fulfill the duty of master and disciple. I beg Third Master's permission."

Although he had never liked Park Jong-seo, firstly, he was the senior brother, and with their master gone, the senior brother was his only elder. Secondly, Park Jong-seo's words were reasonable, and even with his anger raging, Kim Hyun-woo could not find fault with them.

He opened his mouth, but had nothing to say. He was still dissatisfied with Park Jong-seo's excessive humility towards Shi Jian, which lacked the imposing manner of Quan Jizhong when he was alive. However, this was not the time to discuss such matters. He heard Shi Jian's trembling voice: "Nephew Park, what you say is true... Alas, it's just... it's just that although I am forced to clean house, I... I don't want to see this consequence. Fifth brother... alas... perhaps... let Fifth brother be buried here, so that we can remember him properly..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Third Master, but... it's just that with Master's death, as the eldest disciple, I must immediately return to Yuanxiong Fort to handle all matters. Although I appreciate Third Master's brotherly affection, remembering the deceased is a disciple's duty, and I dare not neglect it. Please allow me to go."

"This... this..."

Shi Jian frowned, not expecting Park Jong-seo to refuse his suggestion. He then realized what Park Jong-seo was thinking.

Although Park Jong-seo was nominally the eldest disciple, Quan Jizhong had never treated him well, and his fellow disciples outwardly respected him but inwardly resented him. Now that Quan Jizhong was dead, while Park Jong-seo was rightfully the lord of Yuanxiong Fortress by title, in the martial arts world, the succession of sect and fortress lords was often determined by strength, and title was not that important. It was understandable that Park Jong-seo was eager to return to the fortress to consolidate his power.

Although he felt that if things continued this way, Park Jong-seo would most likely slip out of his control, he thought that Park Jong-seo wouldn't betray him, so Shi Jian reluctantly nodded.

"But..."

Shi Jian nodded, but Shao Xueqian couldn't stand it anymore. Although she was deeply saddened by Quan Jizhong's death, her fifth brother had gone too far. Although she had caused his death, deep down she felt a sense of satisfaction that he deserved it. However, if they went to Yuanxiong Fortress, they would lose a significant number of men in Yixin Garden. If the enemy took advantage of the situation to attack, she and Shi Jian alone might not be able to handle it.

Before Shao Xueqian could stop them, her sleeve was tugged. She looked down and saw Xin Wanyi's slender hand on her sleeve. Looking up, she saw Wu Yu frowning and shaking his head at her.

Although she didn't know what Wu Yu was planning, she had always admired his intelligence and insight, so Shao Xueqian remained silent for the time being.

Shi Jian spoke tremblingly, "Nephew Park is right... However, with a powerful enemy at hand, after arranging your fifth brother's funeral, please come to Yixin Garden as soon as possible to discuss important matters, lest the enemy take advantage of the situation and we must be on guard."

[Volume 6] Chapter 2: The Shocking Change at the Ancient Temple

"You...you have harmed Master, and you still say such things..."

Heartbroken by Quan Jizhong's death, and seeing that Park Jong-seo no longer possessed the same imposing manner as when Quan Jizhong was alive, Kim Hyun-woo was both hurt and bitter. Hearing that Shi Jian still wanted to interfere in the affairs of Yuanxiong Fort, although his tone was polite, it was clear that he wanted Park Jong-seo to handle Quan Jizhong's funeral simply and then come back to discuss how to deal with Yang Ting. He completely treated Park Jong-seo as his subordinate. Heartbroken, he couldn't help but tremble as he retorted.

"In matters of life and death, Yuanxiong Fortress has its own funeral rites. During the forty-nine days, we must ensure that Master departs with dignity. Could it be... could it be that you, Third Master Shi, are going to interfere even in this final journey? Is this... is this how a brother should act?"

"Junior Brother is right,"

Park Jong-seo was slightly startled to see that Kim Hyun-woo actually agreed with him. However, he couldn't help but think to himself that he hadn't made a mistake by contradicting Shi Jian's insistence. Otherwise, given Kim Hyun-woo's tendency to criticize him and have opinions no matter what he did, who knows how long it would take to get him to agree with his approach? This at least got Kim Hyun-woo behind him, which would help him suppress his dissatisfaction when they got back. "There are proper funeral rites at Yuanxiong Fortress, and the encoffining of Master cannot be taken lightly..." "

However, Zhong Rui is not one to be ignorant of the importance of things,"

seeing that Shi Jian was about to speak, even Shao Xueqian frowned slightly, as if she wanted to raise a counterargument. Park Zhong Rui hurriedly spoke first, "Instead of scattering our forces and giving the enemy hiding in the shadows an opportunity, it would be better to concentrate our manpower to defend against external attacks and internal changes. I understand this principle... Why don't Third Master and Madam go to Yuanxiong Fortress first to help carry Master's coffin and handle the funeral rites? This would fulfill our brotherly duty and prevent the enemy from having any openings. What do you think?"

"This..."

If it were before, although Shi Jian was heartbroken by the death of his disciple, he also knew that this was a crucial moment to bring Yuanxiong Fortress into his grasp. Even if it was a tiger's den, he would go. But Park Zhong Rui's unexpected rebuttal made him realize that this trip was not a good idea.

The people of Yuanxiong Fort have always been arrogant and conceited, but he killed Quan Jizhong under the pretext of cleaning up their own ranks. There must be many people who are dissatisfied with him. If Park Jong-seo can be controlled, his trip will be dangerous but safe. He is 70% confident that he can suppress the people of Yuanxiong Fort without Quan Jizhong. But if even Park Jong-seo might disobey him, this trip will be tantamount to sending himself to his death. Shi Jian is not that stupid.

"Zhong Rui's suggestion is good, but... but although Old Shi has cleaned up the mess, his heart is breaking. He's afraid he won't be able to travel far for a while,"

Shi Jian sighed, shaking his head. He walked tremblingly to Jin Xianyu's side, casually brushing aside the latter's attempt to stop him as if he were an enemy. He gently stroked Quan Jizhong's face. "Alright, take Lao Wu's body back! Next... Old Shi might have to go into seclusion for a few days to properly... properly grieve for his brother's death... After Old Shi emerges from seclusion, he'll go to Yuanxiong Fort to pay respects to Lao Wu... Alas..."

"No need... no need for you to say it, I know..."

Jin Xianyu had wanted to curse Shi Jian a few times, but seeing Shi Jian's tearful eyes and obvious despair, and knowing that none of the people present were someone he could handle, he carefully held Quan Jizhong's body. He opened his mouth, but could only weakly say, "I... I'll take Master's body back now. Please... please, Third Master Shi, let us pass..."

"Of course, alas... Nephew Jin, you too... please accept my condolences, sob... you are all gone, but I cannot see you off..."

After Shao Xueqian and the others came up and said a few words of condolence, Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo led the people of Yuanxiong Fort to take Quan Ji's body on the way.

Although the people of Yuanxiong Fortress were furious upon seeing Quan Jizhong's corpse and knew that Shi Jian's actions were justified, some even planned to settle scores with Yixin Garden on the spot. However, with Park Jong-seo's strong suppression and Kim Hyun-woo joining forces with Park Jong-seo, the resistance was suppressed. Even if the people of Yuanxiong Fortress were outwardly convinced but inwardly resentful, they dared not disobey their two senior brothers' commands. Although verbal conflicts were still inevitable on the way, no one intended to fight. Jie Mingyan, who had been supervising from the side, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What... exactly happened?"

After everyone had dispersed, Shao Xueqian did not return to her room to rest but chased after Wu Yu and Xin Wanyi, who had gone far away.

She originally wanted to confront her son and get an explanation, but as soon as the gathering ended, Ji Pingyi, Zhu Yuhan, and Yang Rouyi had already retreated, discussing something and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Shao Xueqian had no choice but to go find her most difficult accomplice.

Originally, her affair with Wu Yu and Xin Wanyi was not something to be discussed with outsiders. However, knowing this, Wu Yu still approached her recently, even forcing her to "remove the curse" deep within Yixin Garden.

Initially, Shao Xueqian was confused and infatuated, and because of her own internal needs, she half-heartedly complied. But judging from today's situation, there was clearly a conspiracy involved. If it hadn't been Xin Wanyi who came tonight, but Wu Yu himself, it might be Xin Wanyi and Ji Pingyi weeping over the corpses, not Jin Xianyu.

The thought of becoming a pawn in a conspiracy infuriated Shao Xueqian, especially since it involved her own brother!

"Knowing I couldn't hide it from you, Madam,"

Wu Yu walked to the tree, cautiously glancing around to make sure no one could overhear him. He shook his head and let out a soft sigh. "Third Master Shi and Fifth Master Quan are locked in a power struggle. One of them must be a traitor within the Shadow Sword Sect. I deliberately had Park Jong-seo gather some information to bring their conflict to the surface, so I could see what methods they were secretly employing. But I never expected to witness such a spectacle of a disciple betraying his master… Well done, Third Master Shi, you've been laying this trap for quite some time."

"Is…is that so?"

With a slight frown, Shao Xueqian tapped the tree trunk lightly with her slender hand, making a soft tapping sound. This served two purposes: firstly, to check if anyone was hiding in the tree, and secondly, it reflected her current flustered state of mind.

She already knew that Quan Jizhong disliked everyone, even his sworn brothers, who had reservations about him. But she never expected that Shi Jian had so early on, laying a trap within Yuanxiong Fortress.

Park Jong-seo's betrayal today is the most serious blow to the entire region. Otherwise, with the power of Yuanxiong Fortress, even if something went wrong in the entire region, others could only downplay it and let it go. No matter how outrageous the actions, no one would dare to investigate. "But you...you actually did this..."

"Oh, Xueqian, don't be angry..."

Xin Wanyi glanced reproachfully at Wu Yu, seeing that he still looked innocent, she couldn't help but sigh.

Although he was a lecherous thief and had been with countless women, this husband still didn't understand women's hearts! The fright she suffered while hiding under the covers was terrifying enough, let alone the public's target, Shao Xueqian.

"My lord, you really are something else. Such a big matter... you didn't even tell me beforehand. Do you know how scared Wanyi was when they broke down the door? Her heart was practically jumping out of her chest..." "

I'm so sorry, so sorry..."

Wu Yu clasped his hands together in an innocent gesture, bowed to the two women, and said, "Actually, I didn't know about Shi Jian's plan beforehand. I just thought that the current situation is all smiles on the surface, but in reality, it's tense. Both Shi Jian and Quan Jizhong are actually ready to break off relations, completely disregarding the external enemy. If this continues, and then the Shadow Sword Sect attacks just when the two sides turn against each other, the situation will be completely out of control. It's better to let them break off relations sooner rather than later. Even if a conflict really breaks out, it's still much better than the current situation of outward harmony but inner discord... Besides, this test has really yielded a lot of results, and it can be considered a great achievement..."

"And quite a haul!"

Thinking of Quan Jizhong's still-angry face when he died, even though she knew she bore little responsibility for his death, he was still her sworn brother. Shao Xueqian felt truly uneasy. Her anger towards Wu Yu had lessened somewhat, but the fire in her heart hadn't subsided much.

However, the rapid turn of events this time truly left Shao Xueqian feeling quite disoriented.

Just now, in bed, she was only shy and embarrassed, completely oblivious to the flaws in the words of the people who broke in. But now, having calmed down and noticed something amiss in Shi Jian's methods of dealing with Quan Jizhong, and recalling Shi Jian's words in the room, Shao Xueqian couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.

Originally, Shi Jian hadn't realized that Xin Wanyi was in bed. However, in the midst of Quan Jizhong's smug satisfaction at catching them in the act, Shi Jian's words, while seemingly advising reconciliation, were actually a constant warning to Ji Pingyi, urging him to consider the possibility of killing her to cover it up. Quan Jizhong, however, remained completely oblivious, his obliviousness truly remarkable… Thinking back to when Wu Yu hadn't appeared in time, seeing him naked in bed, covered only by a brocade quilt, Ji Pingyi, in his shame and anger, might have actually chosen the path of murder. With him and Zhu Yuhan's intervention, plus Shi Jian's assistance, and Park Jong-seo's covert support, Quan Jizhong, caught off guard, would have been unable to escape. But that would mean not only his own safety but also the accusation of nephew-uncle murder. With these two major leverages in Shi Jian's hands, Ji Pingyi and he would be difficult to escape Shi Jian's control. It was feared that Shi Jian could unify the Weitian Alliance overnight.

Although Quan Jizhong did have reasons to die, Wu Yu's scheming against his own brother was really too much! If Quan Jizhong hadn't already died, and Shi Jian hadn't revealed his treacherous side, the Weitian Alliance, though large, would have already fallen apart. Whether dealing with enemies or restoring Qilan Manor, she would have to rely on Wu Yu. Given Shao Xueqian's personality, she would have already vented her anger long ago.

"They actually... killed all of Fifth Brother! Third Brother really is... Xueqian is really surprised. She never expected that Park Jong-seo was actually Third Brother's spy, keeping us all in the dark... But Yuanxiong Fortress is gone, and if Yang... if the Shadow Sword Sect suddenly attacks, what should we do? The enemy has more people after all..."

"Madam, you don't need to worry about this,"

Wu Yu said with a slight smile, shaking his head and changing the subject. "Madam should be glad that the Shadow Sword Sect didn't appear at the right time when Third Master and Fifth Master were fighting to the death today. Otherwise, when Fifth Master died, Third Master's strength would also be depleted. In addition, with Fifth Master's death, the morale of Yuanxiong Fortress would be unstable, and the fighting strength would inevitably be greatly reduced. If the enemy had appeared at that time, we might not have been able to gain the upper hand in the battle."

"Of course I know about this."

She let out a long sigh, feeling a jumble of thoughts rushing through her mind, indescribably complex. Especially since not only was Wu Yu acting mysteriously, but it seemed her son also had his own ideas about today's events. Shao Xueqian felt that her son was growing further and further away from her.

Even though she knew that Ji Pingyi didn't particularly like Quan Jizhong, both he and Wu Yu had adopted a neutral stance regarding Shi Jian's killing of Quan Jizhong. In such a clear-cut situation, remaining neutral and indifferent was no different from supporting Shi Jian. However, the more she thought about it, the more problematic it seemed. Shao Xueqian stopped herself from thinking and turned to Wu Yu's topic, "It's really fortunate..."

"Then... what should we do next?"

Seeing Shao Xueqian lost in thought, Xin Wanyi's gaze kept shifting between her husband and her close friend before she finally spoke.

Xin Wanyi was not good at such scheming and intrigue, so she simply gave up and followed her husband's instructions. "Master Shi is in seclusion and cultivating diligently, which makes this matter quite inconvenient. So... Wanyi, should we continue to research ways to deal with 'Endless Torrents'?"

Upon hearing Xin Wanyi's words and seeing that no one was around, Wu Yu and Shao Xueqian couldn't help but smile strangely. The former shook her head slightly, "Let's continue... It's a pity that several of Master Shi's disciples have died one after another, and Master Shi is also grieving the betrayal of his sworn brothers. He must be in a very low mood. Although he is in seclusion, as a relative, Madam should still visit him occasionally. Although Master Shi's current condition is probably difficult for even Madam to alleviate for the time being, what needs to be done must be done... As for the external defenses, we will have to ask Young Master to take care of them."

Hearing Wu Yu talk about Shi Jian's mood, not only Shao Xueqian, but even Xin Wanyi's mood couldn't help but sink.

Although Shi Jian had planted Park Jong-seo, a traitor, in Yuanxiong Fortress long ago, he must have been prepared for tonight's events. Just now, from Shi Jian's words, it seemed that Quan Jizhong had been branded as a traitor colluding with the enemy, and this was the reason for cleaning house. However, Shao Xueqian knew her brother well. Quan Jizhong was indeed arrogant and conceited, but to say that he was colluding with the enemy was something she couldn't possibly agree with. It wasn't that she trusted him, but rather that, given Quan Jizhong's personality, who in the world would have the patience to collude with him? Thinking about it this way, Quan Jizhong's crime was most likely fabricated. Shi Jian had planted a traitor long ago, and his move to bring Quan Jizhong down in one fell swoop today was not as righteous as it seemed on the surface.

Firstly, Shao Xueqian truly did not want to treat her own brothers as enemies. Moreover, Ji Yuan and Liu Hao had died one after another, and even Quan Jizhong had died tonight. Yang Ting had also betrayed her. Shao Xueqian really did not want to treat the only remaining Shi Jian as an enemy. In addition, the blows that Shi Jian had suffered were indeed considerable. Tai Shixuan, Situ Xiang, and Rao Qianyi had all passed away, and there was no successor to "Endless Flood Waves." The only possible successor was Yang Ting, who had secretly learned the skill. Although Shi Jian's plan had succeeded, his mood was probably not good. Shao Xueqian really did not want to blame him.

"Third Brother is grieving the deaths of his brothers and disciples; his mood must be terrible. Judging from his seclusion without even explaining anything, I know his heart is heavy. If I go to see him now, Xueqian really can't think of anything to say to comfort him. It's better to leave it to Mingyan to grieve… As for us, we must still brace ourselves and deal with the enemy's possible actions."

Taking a deep breath, Shao Xueqian couldn't help but feel that since the Qilan Manor incident, she had been sighing more and more frequently. Since she was already in pain, she didn't want to get involved with the grieving Shi Jian. Seeing each other in sorrow only brought sighs and lamentations; there was probably nothing constructive to be done. "Zhong Rui and the others… the news probably can't be kept secret…"

"Isn't that right?"

Wu Yu nodded slightly, understanding what Shao Xueqian meant.

With Quan Jizhong dead, another pillar of the Weitian Alliance had fallen. How could the Shadow Sword Sect not be overjoyed upon receiving the news? However, Park Jong-seo, Kim Hyun-woo, and the others wanted to return to Yuanxiong Fortress. The funeral arrangements required a lot of supplies, and judging from Kim Hyun-woo's words, they didn't want to rush things, so they opted for a less grand affair. The news wouldn't be kept secret, and if the Shadow Sword Sect wanted to invade, they wouldn't let such an opportunity pass. These next few days,

Ji Pingyi and she would likely have to devote a lot of energy to dealing with the enemy. "Later, Xueqian will instruct Pingyi to pay close attention to the defenses of Yixin Garden, and we also need to ask Mingyan for help..."

Shaking her head, Shao Xueqian tried to sound cheerful, but the situation was truly a huge mess.

With Yuanxiong Fortress retreated, the Weitian Alliance had lost more than half its manpower. Relying solely on the forces of Yixin Garden to hold the fortress would require a significant reduction in their defensive lines.

Unfortunately, it was at this crucial moment that Shi Jian went into seclusion, and his three disciples died one after another. Yixin Garden was essentially leaderless, and Jie Mingyan had to take care of Shi Jian's side, making it difficult for her to spare any attention. Otherwise, although Shao Xueqian was the eldest sister-in-law, she was still an outsider, and how could she let Ji Pingyi take charge of Yixin Garden's forces?

"There's really a lot of trouble... sigh..."

Waving her hand, not wanting to disturb Wu Yu and his wife any longer, she was about to leave to find Ji Pingyi and ask him what her son's plans were when she suddenly stopped after taking a few steps. She turned back to look at Wu Yu, her face full of bewilderment, and even her body and voice trembled. "Duan... uh... Brother Wu, do you think... what if the Shadow Sword Sect doesn't attack Yixin Garden and instead goes to deal with the people of Yuanxiong Fortress?"

"This... is indeed a problem,"

Wu Yu seemed to have not considered this matter. Hearing Shao Xueqian's words, he was slightly taken aback. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, but he couldn't say a word. After a long while, he seemed to think of a response. "But Master Shi has gone into seclusion again, making it necessary for the young master to take over the defense of Yixin Garden. It seems that no one has time to remind them... However, Yuanxiong Fort doesn't have a good reputation with either my Qilan Manor or Master Shi. If we go openly, we might just be met with indifference and ridicule. It would be better for me to do the work and secretly take care of them, so that at least Master Quan Wu's body can rest in peace. What do you think, Madam?"

"In that case... I will trouble you to make the offering,"

Shao Xueqian sighed softly upon hearing Wu Yu's words.

Although Quan Jizhong's death saddened her considerably, the memory of his life lessened the pain somewhat. However, Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo were all juniors, and whatever Shao Xueqian's feelings towards Quan Jizhong didn't concern them.

Wu Yu's words were also true; going now would only exacerbate the conflict suppressed by Park Jong-seo and the others. Such covert support required someone like Wu Yu; she, always acting openly, wasn't suited for such actions. "Please be careful on your journey, take good care of yourself… I'm speaking on behalf of Wan Yi, don't overthink it…"

Telling others not to overthink, yet blushing herself, Shao Xueqian felt her face burning. Even the pent-up lust from her intimate moments with Xin Wan Yi in bed was gradually rising again. But the night was deep, and Wu Yu seemed oblivious to her unusual behavior, simply cupping his hands in greeting: "Not at all… If it weren't for Madam's thoughtful consideration, I wouldn't have thought of this." "In truth, when facing a powerful enemy, losing the fighting force of Yuanxiong Fortress would indeed be a loss! This matter should not be delayed any longer, so I will take my leave now... During my absence, I would appreciate it if you could help me, Madam, by keeping it a secret that I am not staying at Yixin Garden, lest the news leak out. I entrust everything to you..."

Before she finished speaking, she had already gone far away. Seeing her husband walk away, Xin Wanyi smiled slightly and reached out to grab Shao Xueqian's wrist. The latter trembled shyly, wanting to pull her hand back but not moving. She only heard her close friend chuckle softly: "Thank you for your concern for my lecherous husband! It's getting late, how about I accompany you... back to bed for a chat? I don't want to sleep alone in the winter night!"

"No... don't say that, it's so embarrassing!"

Lowering her head, she dared not get up again, and did not even dare to watch Wu Yu leave like Xin Wanyi did. Shao Xueqian felt her whole body burning, and she mumbled a soft curse.

This aphrodisiac is truly harmful. Just a slight hint of ambiguity in her words, and even she herself only realized it after speaking, her body reacted on its own.

Now, with everything in chaos, it's already like this. After defeating the powerful enemy, rebuilding Qilan Manor, and letting Ji Pingyi take charge of affairs, wouldn't she be even more inseparable from men when she has free time?

She really didn't want to think about that prospect, yet she didn't want to cut it out of her mind. "Let's... go back! Xueqian also... also wants to share a bed with you, Wanyi... don't just stay cold..."

Seeing Shao Xueqian like this, Xin Wanyi's lips curled into a playful smile.

To be honest, it wasn't that she couldn't resist the fervent needs of her body. After all, as a healer, she knew better than most how to deal with the body's instincts. But just watching the men scheme and plot against each other, it seemed that every word and action had a hidden meaning. Just thinking about it gave her a headache. She decided to leave such matters to Wu Yu and the others to worry about. It would be more fun for her and Shao Xueqian to go back to bed and cuddle and flirt.

Inside the ancient temple, the people from Yuanxiong Fortress sat or lay down, protecting the coffin in the center of the temple. Even after three days, it was completely undamaged, showing how careful they were.

The purple jade coffin and golden outer coffin, though seemingly vulgar at first glance, were precisely the treatment most fitting for Quan Jizhong in the hearts of the people of Yuanxiong Fortress. After all, he was a hero of his time, and he couldn't be buried so hastily in his final moments.

However, the coffin, though seemingly grand, failed to boost the morale of the people of Yuanxiong Fortress. Some whispered amongst themselves, their words tinged with resentment, while most hung their heads, seemingly devoid of any spirit. Even those who forced themselves to look at the coffin with a mixture of reverence and fear, as if hoping that Quan Jizhong's spirit in heaven would give them some strength, could not bring the corpse within to life. The atmosphere was unimaginably oppressive.

Adding to this, it was winter, and now night had fallen. The mountain air was even colder. Although no one was afraid of the cold, the gloom in their hearts made the atmosphere even more difficult to uplift. The temple was truly deathly still, not at all like a gathering of martial arts people.

Looking at everyone's condition, Kim Hyun-woo shook his head and went back to find Park Jong-seo.

Only three days had passed since he left Yixin Garden, but to Kim Hyun-woo, it felt like an eternity.

Just days before, he was still the second disciple of Yuanxiong Fortress, arrogant because of his family's power. He didn't even take Shi Jian or Shao Xueqian seriously, let alone the defector Yang Ting. After all, although Yang Ting held the positions of head of two families, his previous attacks were all sneak attacks; he didn't dare to fight head-on. With the sheer number and strength of Yuanxiong Fortress, why would they fear Yang Ting's few men?

With Quan Jizhong dead, it was as if a pillar supporting the sky had collapsed in his heart. Although those he saw before him were all his own people, they were no longer as spirited as before. They were all dejected. Apart from Park Jong-seo, who could still muster the energy to handle affairs, most of the others, except for a few who were still resentful and eager to return to Yixin Garden to seek revenge on Shi Jian, were lifeless. In just a few days, the world he was in seemed to have turned upside down. Under such an atmosphere, how could he dare to stay in Yixin Garden and allow Ji Pingyi and the like to bully and humiliate him?

But after leaving Yixin Garden, he still felt empty inside, and his words and actions became dejected. If it weren't for Park Jong-seo holding the fortress together, everyone would probably have scattered.

Although Kim Hyun-woo had always looked down on this senior brother, when faced with a major event, he realized that he had no one left to rely on. He dared not disobey his only elder brother anymore.

For the past three days, Kim Hyun-woo had been like a completely different person. He only paid attention to Park Jong-seo, no longer the daring senior brother of Yuanxiong Fortress who dared to argue with his senior brother. He was practically like Park Jong-seo's disciple. This transformation amazed everyone in Yuanxiong Fortress. If everyone hadn't been preoccupied with their own things, the rumors and sarcastic remarks would have spread like wildfire.

Kim Hyun-woo was naturally aware of the change in the atmosphere around him. In the past, with his master to rely on, he naturally followed his master with high spirits, as if he didn't care about any heroes in the world. Now, however, he could only rely on his senior brother, so he could only endure the stares of everyone.

"This won't do, Senior Brother..."

Entering the back room, Kim Hyun-woo saw Park Jong-seo gazing out the window, deep in thought. Not daring to disturb him, Kim Hyun-woo waited until the latter turned back, looking at him with a slightly questioning gaze before speaking. "Everyone's spirits are low, there's no energy at all. If this continues, even if we return to Yuanxiong Fortress, we'll only be looked down upon... Although Senior Brother's decision to have everyone take the mountain path directly, avoiding attention, is a good thing, everyone's lack of enthusiasm. Returning like this, so listless, won't it be extremely embarrassing?"

"It's unavoidable,"

Park Jong-seo shook his head, frowning in deep thought, clearly unable to think of a solution.

Having everyone take the mountain path, a stark contrast to their usual style of quietude, was his idea. Although a solemn and dignified style was necessary for sending off their master's spirit, this concealment went against the established norms of Yuanxiong Fortress, causing resentment among many disciples.

If it weren't for Kim Hyun-woo's dramatic change in the past few days, Park Jong-seo would have thought his junior brother was just picking on him as usual! Now, however, he could see clearly that Kim Hyun-woo was genuinely thinking of him. Park Jong-seo was finding it hard to adjust. "The pillar has fallen. If the enemy attacks now, it will be very difficult to defend against them..."

"This... Could it be that Shi Laosan really disregards the sworn brotherhood and leads his men to attack?"

Although he knew that the man was difficult to deal with and that killing his master was justified, Kim Hyun-woo was unwilling to forgive this fellow after witnessing his master's death.

If Park Jong-seo hadn't firmly refused Shi Jian's entreaties and insisted on taking Quan Jizhong's corpse back to Yuanxiong Fortress for burial, clearly realizing that becoming the lord of Yuanxiong Fortress meant also getting rid of Shi Jian's control, Kim Hyun-woo wouldn't have been so subservient to him. "Even if he dares to come, do you think Shao Xueqian and the others will just let him?"

"That's hard to say,"

Park Jong-seo sighed, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, seemingly lost in thought. "Master... he's always been arrogant and self-assured, always acting with a clear conscience and justification before taking action, so he probably won't come so openly.

But I don't believe he's not prepared to attack us either.

As for Shao Xueqian and the others... if they truly care about this fortress, they wouldn't let him... attack Master.

What I fear is that if he deliberately leaks the news, causing the Shadow Sword Sect to launch a surprise attack, given our current situation, we'll likely be unable to stop them, after all... morale is low!"

"Leaving Yixin Garden earlier was to escape... to escape his scheme. The reason I had everyone travel along the secluded mountain paths was to cover our tracks. We've been walking for three days now, even if..."

Speaking of the Shadow Sword Sect, Park Jong-seo gave a self-deprecating smile. Kim Hyun-woo understood his predicament. Back when Quan Jizhong was still around, they wouldn't have taken those cowardly Shadow Sword Sect members seriously. But now... "Even if the Shadow Sword Sect really got wind of us, they won't be able to find us immediately. As long as we return to Yuanxiong Fortress and reunite with everyone, we won't be afraid of them anymore..."

"I see..."

Nodding, Kim Hyun-woo's face still showed worry, but a hint of anger surfaced.

The people of Yuanxiong Fortress didn't believe Shi Jian's actions were justified. After all, Quan Jizhong was a case of the tallest tree in the forest, and the wind would surely blow it down. Shi Jian's actions against him were simply out of jealousy of his outstanding sworn brother. Even if Quan Jizhong had offended Shao Xueqian, it wasn't a fatal mistake.

As for colluding with outsiders, it was a shameless frame-up! Many have even speculated that the one truly colluding with the Shadow Sword Sect is Shi Jian himself. However, the deaths of Tai Shixuan and others at the Medical Pavilion make it difficult to believe even if it were a ruse, so such speculation hasn't stirred up much controversy. "Senior brother is indeed brilliant..."

"Stop praising me,"

Park Jong-seo shook his head violently, even his neatly tied hair was slightly disheveled, and sighed, "That day, I thought that Master was risking offending Shao Xueqian to catch the adulterer, firstly to suppress Wu Yu's arrogance, and secondly to prepare for a break with this bunch of scoundrels. I had already planned that if something unexpected happened, I would fight my way out of Yixin Garden with Master and lead everyone back to Yuanxiong Fortress. Who would have thought... who would have thought he would use this as an excuse to attack Master? Master, in the afterlife, must be furious at my stupidity... Alas..."

"Don't be sad, senior brother,"

Kim Hyun-woo said, his heart pounding at the slight sob in Park Jong-seo's voice. Any lingering unease he felt towards Park Jong-seo vanished. "That Shi Jian is cunning and treacherous. It's easy to fall for his tricks, senior brother. Shao Xueqian was probably just deceived by him too. Perhaps… before we storm back to Yixin Garden, we can secretly contact Shao Xueqian and let her know that the whole mess she made, from being caught in bed together, was all Shi Jian's scheme. Maybe we can even get Qilan Manor on our side… We can then discuss with Shao Xueqian about falsely accusing Shi Jian and see what kind of expression he'll have when he's rightfully expelled from the family."

"This… this…"

As Kim Hyun-woo became increasingly enthusiastic, even preparing the charges he intended to level against Shi Jian, Park Jong-seo frowned slightly. Listening to Kim Hyun-woo's explanation of how to deal with Shi Jian, a hazy look flickered in his eyes, as if he were struggling internally about whether to follow Kim Hyun-woo's advice.

After all, he had originally been Shi Jian's apprentice, and even though he was prepared to take over Yuanxiong Fortress, his relationship with Shi Jian could never be the same as before. But to turn against Shi Jian so quickly still caused Park Jong-seo considerable inner turmoil.

However, Park Jong-seo also knew that while the people of Yuanxiong Fortress appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents were surging. Even though he had already subdued Kim Hyun-woo, it was uncertain whether others would be as obedient as Kim Hyun-woo. Furthermore, with Quan Jizhong dead at Shi Jian's hands, the hatred Yuanxiong Fortress felt towards Shi Jian was difficult to suppress. On the other hand, few people wanted to seek revenge on Shao Xueqian, who might have set a trap for Quan Jizhong.

The principle of a good man not fighting with a woman is secondary. Although Shi Jian used Shao Xueqian as a pretext to attack Quan Jizhong, Shao Xueqian's side had no intention of participating. While they didn't favor one side, they at least maintained a semblance of fairness. If they were to retaliate, they certainly wouldn't target Qilan Manor first.

Although he still had reservations, Park Jong-seo knew that his options were limited. The best way to stabilize the internal situation in the shortest time was to create a powerful enemy. Whether he could defeat them was secondary; the most important thing was to divert everyone's attention and buy time to calm people's hearts.

Besides, not everyone in Yuanxiong Fortress was as arrogant and self-important as Quan Jizhong. Even if their numbers were small, there should still be people who understood the bigger picture. Having a powerful enemy like Shi Jian outside could at least encourage some people to temporarily put aside their internal strife and focus their efforts on external threats.

"Junior brother is absolutely right, but..."

After much deliberation, Park Jong-seo finally made a decision. Hearing him say "but," Kim Hyun-woo was initially displeased, thinking his senior brother would try to find another excuse to refuse. However, after hearing Park Jong-seo's words, he couldn't deny that Park Jong-seo's concerns were somewhat reasonable. "But to join forces with Shao Xueqian, we'll have to deal with Wu Yu... We must be careful then. Although he is incredibly ugly, his intelligence and martial arts are both top-notch. His cunning might not be inferior to... by much. Moreover, this person is unpredictable and may not have a good impression of my Yuanxiong Fortress. If we're not careful, Wu Yu might even sell out my Yuanxiong Fortress. This is something we must guard against..."

"What senior brother says is also... is true."

Letting out a breath, Kim Hyun-woo couldn't help but shudder at the thought of Wu Yu's always smiling face, ugly yet not terrifying.

Kim Hyun-woo had never gained an advantage dealing with this person. Even Quan Jizhong had suffered a lot of humiliation at his hands. Yet, this person knew exactly what he was doing. Despite deliberately provoking them several times, he never directly confronted Quan Jizhong. And in the only fight they had, it was unclear whether he had truly used his full strength. This unfathomable opponent was indeed difficult to deal with.

"But could it be…?"

"Master's revenge must be taken."

After thinking for a moment, Park Jong-seo shook his head, his eyes flashing with a cold aura that made Kim Hyun-woo tremble.

His previous senior brother never had such a chilling gaze. Could this be the progress he had made since becoming the lord of Yuanxiong Fortress?

"But we need to choose the right time. We can't act rashly. After all, our fortress has lost its pillar and its strength has been greatly reduced. We must not act rashly... Hmm, after Master's spirit is moved back to the fortress, we can use the pretext of worship to lure Shao Xueqian here. As the saying goes, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold . I'm sure she won't be absent. At that time, we can have a good discussion with Shao Xueqian and Wu Yu to see how to deal with Yixin Garden, whose strength has greatly increased since Master's passing..."

"Then... what if Shi Jian also comes?"

Hearing Park Jong-seo's consideration, Kim Hyun-woo was overjoyed. As long as there was a chance to cooperate with Wu Yu, with his martial arts skills that were no less than Quan Jizhong's, plus his wife Xin Wanyi's research on how to restrain "Endless Torrents", it would be no difficult task to defeat Shi Jian.

However, Shi Jian is, after all, a brother of Quan Jizhong. If he were to shamelessly come as well, it would be much more inconvenient to discuss matters with Shao Xueqian and the others. "That fellow is extremely shameless. If he insists on coming, wouldn't it be very inconvenient to discuss matters?"

"Let's see if he dares to come."

With a snort, Park Zhongrui tightened his grip on the steel whip in his hand and casually swung it, sending out a gust of wind. "Not to mention that the threat of the Shadow Sword Sect is still there, he might not dare to leave Yixin Garden. If he really comes, do you think that with the sheer number of people in my Yuanxiong Fortress, we can't take him down? Then we'll see who in the fortress is a coward. After the great revenge is taken, these useless people should be properly cleaned up. In addition, there's the matter of dealing with the Shadow Sword Sect and competing with Qilan Manor to regain control of the Weitian Alliance. There's still a lot to do. In the future, I'll have to ask Xianyu to lend Zhongrui a hand with these important responsibilities."

"This...of course, Hyunwoo will certainly do his best to assist."

Hearing Park Jong-seo say this, Kim Hyunwoo responded fluently, flattered, but inwardly he was both pleased and surprised.

He was pleased that Park Jong-seo's style was quite different from usual after taking over as the lord of Yuanxiong Fortress; his decisiveness was almost unrecognizable from before. However, he was surprised by the implication in Park Jong-seo's words: if Shi Jian really dared to enter the tiger's den alone, he was willing to sacrifice himself to keep Shi Jian's life in Yuanxiong Fortress! Although he also hated Shi Jian to the bone, this man's martial arts were indeed superb, and killing him would cost many of his own lives.

Kim Hyun-woo also realized that if Shi Jian truly dared to come to Yuanxiong Fortress, regardless of whether his arrival was legitimate, Yuanxiong Fortress might not have a justifiable reason to kill him. Not to mention whether Shao Xueqian would side with him, even the question of whether the people of Yuanxiong Fortress could tolerate it was uncertain. Perhaps, without Park Jong-seo and himself raising the issue, the people of Yuanxiong Fortress would already be unable to resist attacking upon seeing Shi Jian arrive.

"However, if we want to deal with that bastard… we can't rely solely on our fortress. The Mighty Alliance belongs to everyone; we can't handle internal affairs on our own. Even if Wu Yu still wants to stay out of it, we'll have to drag him into it. Otherwise, if we let him sit back and watch the fight, we might have to fight him right after we've dealt with Shi Jian…"

Shaking his head, Kim Hyun-woo thought for a moment, then spoke his thoughts with some uncertainty: "If we act ourselves, we don't know if he'll…" "Using the pretext of avenging Shi Jian, you've turned your attention to this fortress. Everything... should at least be done with a legitimate reason. I urge you to reconsider, Senior Brother."

Park Jong-seo narrowed his eyes, looking at his junior brother with a hint of suspicion. He couldn't help but find it amusing. His own impulsive and decisive actions could be attributed to his responsibility as the Lord of Yuanxiong Fortress, a change he was forced to make. But seeing Kim Hyun-woo become so calculating, considering the consequences before acting, Park Jong-seo couldn't help but smile wryly. Hadn't their roles and ways of thinking been completely reversed?

"Hyun-woo is quite right, but... those are matters for later. Let's think about how to safely bring Master's spirit back to Yuanxiong Fortress..."

Shaking his head, banishing the strange thought from his mind, Park Jong-seo gazed out the window. The moon was sparse and the stars were few; apart from the candlelight inside the room, there was almost no light.

Although this was to be expected in the desolate wilderness, especially since he had chosen the mountain path precisely to remain hidden and undetected, he still couldn't help but feel a strange sense of dread.

Suddenly, the sound of a window breaking rang out, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sharp glint of light hurtling towards him—a weapon aimed directly at Park Jong-seo's throat, less than inches away by the time he realized it.

Although the two inside were both highly skilled, they hadn't noticed anyone hiding outside the window beforehand. Fortunately, although Jeon Ji-chung was arrogant, he taught his disciples diligently and without reservation. When the intruder broke through the window, Park Jong-seo still had time to raise his steel whip to block, while Kim Hyun-woo didn't even have time to raise his whip, and instead slashed out with both bare hands . Fortunately, both reacted quickly, striking with both whip and palm simultaneously. Although the force of the blow forced them to stumble and retreat a few steps, they managed to deflect the intruder's deadly longsword.

After exchanging a single blow, both men's expressions changed.

The man before them was completely concealed in black clothing, bulging with an unknown amount of stuff, making it impossible to discern his form. Only a pair of gleaming eyes, radiating a chilling killing intent, were visible.

Though he wielded only an ordinary longsword, the mere exchange of blows, even disregarding the fact that the two men had been caught off guard and unable to fully concentrate their power, revealed his truly extraordinary skill. The sheer force of his sword had sent a chill down their spines, making them feel as if this man was even more formidable than Quan Jizhong.

Having no idea where such a master had appeared from, Kim Hyun-woo, who had only parried the sword strike from the side and taken at most three or four tenths of the force, was still shaken so badly that his chest was churning with blood. Holding his steel whip, Kim Hyun-woo was trying to buy time to calm his blood flow. He was puzzled, having no idea who the newcomer was, when he heard Park Jong-seo shout, "Everyone be careful! Protect Master's coffin!

It's the Shadow Sword Sect thieves!" Hearing this, Kim Hyun-woo was startled. His worst fears had come true. Now, with Quan Ji gone, the people of Yuanxiong Fortress were being ambushed by the Shadow Sword Sect. Could this man in black be Ma Xuan, who had fought Wu Yu to a standstill? Or did the Shadow Sword Sect value him so much that Yang Ting was personally dealing with his fellow disciples?

Jin Xianyu, wielding his steel whip with imposing force, heard a commotion outside. Clearly, the crowd was demoralized and, upon hearing of a powerful enemy's attack, were in a state of panic and disarray. Few could calmly prepare for the battle; the sounds of chaos and disarray outside were palpable, devoid of any semblance of disciplined composure.

The man before him, though not yet attacking, merely pointed his sword, but the cold glint of its tip forced the two men to muster their full strength to counter any potential attack. Even just facing him from afar sent chills down their spines. Dealing with this man alone was difficult enough; how could they possibly command their fellow disciples outside?

Jin Xianyu hadn't anticipated that Yang Ting or Ma Xuan alone would force the two brothers to join forces. A chill ran down his spine. If Shi Jian was of similar strength, his revenge would likely remain a distant dream.

Seemingly seeing through their bluster, the man in black gave a cold laugh. His deep voice caused an eerie ripple on his mask. His longsword, once still, seemed to pierce from the sky, striking and withdrawing in an instant. Each strike was as swift as lightning, striking where the enemy had no choice but to defend. After only a few strikes, Kim Hyun-woo was already drenched in cold sweat.

Park Jong-seo, standing beside him, was in no better shape. He was the man in black's primary target, and the force of each strike he received was far greater than that received by Kim Hyun-woo. After absorbing several blows, blood was already trickling from the corner of his mouth. If the man in black hadn't attacked one strike at a time, but rather in rapid succession, he would likely be either dead or seriously injured.

The only thing that made Kim Hyun-woo feel better was that the chaos outside gradually subsided after a while. Although it was inevitable that people would clash with each other in the chaos, and it seemed that several junior brothers were injured, it was clear that no external enemies took advantage of the situation to attack. So order was gradually restored.

Now that things had calmed down outside, it was clear that something was happening inside. Several impatient junior brothers had already crowded to the door: "Senior brothers, what's going on? There's no enemy attack outside, so what's going on inside? Who are the Shadow Sword Sect thieves?"

Hearing his junior brothers' questions, Kim Hyun-woo was slightly taken aback. If Park Jong-seo hadn't been cautiously facing the enemy, this momentary lapse in concentration would have allowed the enemy to seize the opportunity to strike, and the outcome would likely have been decided within a few moves. Quickly regaining his senses, Kim Hyun-woo was startled. He had assumed that the newcomer, if not Yang Ting or Ma Xuan, should be a master of the same level from the Shadow Sword Sect. But such a master would not have come alone, even without a large entourage. Could this person be so arrogant as to think he could take on the entire Yuanxiong Fortress by himself?

"Be careful, he's stalling for time!"

Hearing his junior brothers' questions as well, Park Jong-seo had a flash of insight and realized something was amiss.

Even if the newcomer is highly skilled, he is still outnumbered. For one person to take on the entire Yuanxiong Fortress is a pipe dream. If he was merely an assassin targeting them, he should have attacked relentlessly when he broke in through the window, deciding the outcome in one fell swoop, instead of just using moves one by one, as if he were underestimating their skill level.

Either this person is out of his mind, only using his fellow disciples for practice, or he is stalling for time, keeping them pinned down here, waiting for the Shadow Sword Sect's main force to arrive and join them before finally destroying Yuanxiong Fortress. At that point, the Mighty Heaven Alliance would be completely weakened; how could Shi Jian and Wu Yu possibly withstand the enemy's overwhelming force?

If things were as he suspected, he might still have a chance of winning this battle. Judging from his earlier attack, the man in black was definitely a master beyond the reach of his fellow disciples. The reason he didn't attack immediately was perhaps to buy time, or maybe because he hadn't expected the group from Yuanxiong Fort to take the mountain route. He had come alone to pursue them, and after such a long chase, his strength hadn't recovered. He was even too weak to kill them with a single blow and then travel thousands of miles. His manipulative attack was just a bluff to keep him guessing.

"This guy's martial arts are not weak. It's either Yang Ting or Ma Xuan. Everyone, listen to my command!"

Thinking this, Park Jong-seo roused himself, his eyes fixed on his formidable enemy. He was afraid that once his opponent realized he had discovered his strength, he would simply abandon everything and attack. Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily, and besides, this man was only expending his energy in the chase. If it really came down to a fight, he might not be able to keep up!

"Let's go around from the outside, work together, trap this scoundrel here, and then take his head to show off to Shi Laosan. Let those people from Yixin Garden know that without our Yuanxiong Fortress, they who have usurped the Weitian Alliance can't do anything right. They are not as good as us, who can defeat the enemy with just the strength of our fortress. They will be ashamed of Shi Laosan!"

If it were just about asking everyone to fight the enemy, firstly, Park Jong-seo's prestige was not yet established, and he might not be able to get everyone to fight to the best of their ability. Secondly, since Quan Jizhong's death, the people of Yuanxiong Fortress were demoralized and could not exert even five or six tenths of their martial arts skills. Even if this person was not good, judging from his actions just now, even if he could not hold everyone here, it would not be difficult for him to escape. But Park Jong-seo brought out Shi Jian, and the effect was amazing.

The disgust the people of Yuanxiong Fortress felt for Shi Jian instantly transformed into overwhelming fighting spirit. The mere thought of humiliating Shi Jian ignited their will, and they obeyed orders without hesitation, their minds filled with images of Shi Jian's shameful silence. Few actually noticed the man in black inside the room.

Seemingly surprised by Park Jong-seo's swift reaction and skill in provoking the fighting spirit of the Yuanxiong Fortress members, the man in black remained obediently inside, making no move. His sharp eyes coldly fixed on Park Jong-seo, his piercing gaze seemingly carrying a hint of admiration alongside the murderous intent.

Because he remained still, the Yuanxiong Fortress members were able to quickly complete the encirclement amidst the initial chaos. Soon, the area outside the room was packed with people, but the doorway remained empty as Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo fought with their backs to the door.

Seeing that their own men had surrounded them, and that no matter how skilled the newcomer was, escaping would be nearly impossible, Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although his junior brother's martial arts might not be able to defeat this person, seeing that many people had already broken through the windows and rushed in, and the small room was already crowded with people, it seemed that the person would have difficulty attacking him for the time being. Unable to capture the leader, and unable to escape in a bitter struggle, the only option left was to fight to the death. Park Jong-seo sneered, "Whether you are Ma Xuan or Yang Ting, this time... let's see where you can escape to?"

"Why should I escape? Besides, I am neither Yang Ting nor Ma Xuan... You only know that they are superior, but do you not know the strength of your great-aunt Yang Rouyi?"

With a cold laugh, the man in black finally spoke, but his words were enough to terrify everyone. If it were a woman's voice, it would be fine, but although the voice was sharp, it was also rough. At first glance, it was impossible to tell whether it was a man or a woman. The people in the hall felt nauseous after thinking about it carefully.

These words sounded like a woman's voice, but the voice was clearly that of a man. It was as if he was trying to sing a female role in a opera, his voice was coquettish and affected. It was hard to hear such a voice except for a child. None of the people in Yuanxiong Fort had any homosexual tendencies. It was hard not to feel uncomfortable when they heard such a pretentious voice!

Even seasoned veterans like Park Jong-seo and Kim Hyun-woo were momentarily stunned.

Although they didn't know many of the experts in the Shadow Sword Sect, they had met Yang Ting and Ma Xuan several times, and neither of them were such disgusting people!

Although the voice was fake and shrill, quite different from the real person, a voice can be faked, but a person's habits are hard to break. This kind of offensive voice was probably a common tactic of this person. A few words were enough to make everyone in the room feel nauseous; this person was truly skilled. Although

no one vomited, the unpleasant words were still hard for everyone in the room to accept. And it seemed that the man in black was waiting for this moment. As soon as everyone's attention was slightly diverted, the long sword in his hand suddenly transformed into thousands of rays of light. Everyone in the room felt a cold, sharp light before their eyes, and each of them felt that the sword was coming towards them. They hurriedly raised their steel whips to counter it.

Although they knew it was too late, even if they were to die, they wanted to drag others down with them. The room filled with the howling wind, the steel whips lashing out with powerful gusts of wind. Not only did the whips inevitably collide, causing their hands to ache and their senses to temporarily fail. Most people were simply swinging their whips wildly.

The clash of whips filled the room with the deafening sound of metal striking metal, obscuring all other noises. Everyone shared the same thought: they swung their whips with incredible speed and force. The powerful recoil from the impacts made the whips difficult to control, swinging wildly and colliding repeatedly. For a time, they couldn't stop. This chaotic situation lasted for a long time before finally calming down. Jin Xianyu, standing at the door, stared in disbelief. The door behind him had been opened sometime earlier, and the figure of the man in black had vanished.

[Volume 6] Chapter 3: Secret Understanding

"Senior...Senior Brother..."

Completely unprepared for the pursuit, Kim Hyun-woo stared in astonishment at his side. Park Jong-seo's steel whip had fallen to the ground, his mouth opening and closing weakly, unable to utter a sound. A crimson welt appeared on his neck. Before everyone's stunned eyes, Park Jong-seo's body shuddered violently, a cloud of blood spurting from his neck before he collapsed backward, dead!

Although they hadn't seen when the man in black had struck, recalling what had just transpired, they realized that the man had deliberately adopted a seductive, affected voice to project an overwhelming masculine aura. Unaccustomed to such an affected voice, the group was momentarily stunned, and they seized the opportunity to attack. The flashing sword light made them believe they were the ones facing the sword strikes, and they raised their steel whips to meet the attack.

How much space was there in that small room? The group attacked haphazardly without any coordination; it would have been strange if they hadn't been fighting amongst themselves. The steel whips, however, were being used with full force, causing the whips to fly wildly. The man in black seized this opportunity to launch

a surprise attack, calmly slipping out of the room and leaving the others in chaos. While they hated this man's cunning and wickedness, Yuanxiong Fortress was not without capable individuals. To find an opening amidst the chaotic whipping, to land a fatal blow, and then to escape unscathed from the confusion—this man's martial arts were indeed extraordinary. Even more terrifying was his uncanny ability to anticipate their every move, calculating everyone's reactions. Despite being surrounded by a vast army, he remained as steady as a mountain. Such a person was no ordinary individual. Adding to the mystery, even his voice had changed. No matter how hard they tried to decipher the clues left behind, they couldn't fathom his true identity.

"It's all those bastards at Yixin Garden's fault! Not only did they kill Master, but now even our eldest brother has been killed by them!"

Unable to bear the silence any longer, a junior brother finally spoke up, slamming his steel whip heavily on the ground, drawing everyone's attention. "If we hadn't raised a tiger that would have brought trouble upon us, would this have happened? —Senior brother, let's turn back and storm Yixin Garden right now! Even if Shi Jian really has three heads and six arms, even if he's determined to protect Yang Rouyi, no matter the cost, we must avenge Master!"

"Yes, yes!"

someone spoke up, and others immediately echoed in agreement. The cries of revenge filled the small room, even louder than the sound of the whip lashing out when they were lured by the man in black.

Although the man in black looked like a man, he wasn't even framing Yang Rouyi; he was merely a diversionary tactic used to distract the people of Yuanxiong Fortress—a clever and effective method.

However, everyone was seething with resentment because Quan Jizhong had been harmed by Shi Jian. Once someone spoke up, it erupted immediately. Dealing with Yang Rouyi was a pre-determined strategy within Quan Jizhong. Although Shao Xueqian and Shi Jian protected her, making it difficult to act, the people of Yuanxiong Fort usually disregarded these nominal elders. This carelessness was hard to eradicate, and once it erupted, the fervor for revenge overwhelmed reason. They felt this was a righteous war, and they had no choice but to fight.

"You…you all…"

Jin Xianyu was stunned by Park Jong-seo's death. The thought that he would have no one to rely on from now on filled his heart with shock and astonishment. If shock accounted for nine parts, the grief over his senior brother's death was only one part.

After all, Jin Xianyu had dared to act recklessly in the past because of the protection of his elders. Quan Jizhong's death had already left him without support, and now even Park Jong-seo was dead. If he made a mistake, who would help him resolve the aftermath? This thought filled his mind, making it difficult to think of anything else.

Unexpectedly, this momentary distraction caused the emotions in the room to boil over uncontrollably. When Jin Xianyu came to his senses, he saw his junior brothers, filled with rage, each wielding a steel whip, determined to flatten Yixin Garden. He wanted to stop them, but seeing the overwhelming roar of their anger, he knew the situation was too volatile to be suppressed. He didn't know if anyone would hear him, let alone his own voice. Several junior brothers who had already approached him had expressions of resentment mixed with threat, clearly indicating that if Jin Xianyu tried to stop them, their anger would be vented on him.

Knowing that going back like this was practically suicide, Jin Xianyu opened his mouth, but the words to stop them ultimately wouldn't come out.

"What everyone says is true... We must march back to Yixin Garden and bring the ringleader to justice. That scoundrel Shi Jian will not escape the vengeful army of Yuanxiong Fortress!"

Gritting his teeth, and waiting for the crowd to quiet down, seeing his junior brothers with bloodshot eyes waiting for him to make a decision, Jin Xianyu had no choice but to make up his mind. This time, even if he died, he had to march back to Yixin Garden. He would then have to hope that Wu Yu could come up with a way to calm the crowd down. If he had to find a way on his own, he was afraid he would not have a chance.

"—Senior Brother is right!"

Seeing that Jin Xianyu had finally made a decision, the junior brothers, who were quite dissatisfied with his timidity these past few days and were planning to step in and overthrow him if he tried to stop them, finally relaxed. "A debt of gratitude must be repaid, and a grudge must be avenged. Tear our enemies to pieces and lead Yuanxiong Fortress back to its former glory. That's what our—Senior Brother—should be like!"

Hearing his junior brothers' firm stance, not giving him any chance to back down, Jin Xianyu felt a bitter pill to swallow.

Quan Jizhong was gone, and Park Jong-seo was dead. Although Yuanxiong Fortress still far surpassed Qilan Manor and Yixin Garden in terms of manpower, the situation was reversed when it came to top-tier experts.

With his skills, he could at most compete with the likes of Ji Pingyi and Zhu Yuhan for a day. If he encountered Shao Xueqian, Wu Yu, Shi Jian, or others, he would only suffer defeat.

The thought of leading these passionate junior brothers, who seemed oblivious to the disparity in strength between themselves and the enemy, filled Jin Xianyu with immense anxiety, yet he couldn't back out.

He led the group out of the room, paid their respects to the coffin in the temple, and then turned back.

"Listen to me, everyone! This battle at Yixin Garden is absolutely necessary. No matter how strong the enemy is, or how many experts they have, Yuanxiong Fortress is not afraid of them!"

Raising his steel whip high, as if to knock down the dilapidated temple pillars, Jin Xianyu's voice was shrill, stirring the hearts of all who heard it. Inspired by this, the crowd also raised their steel whips high, echoing his shouts.

"But the enemy's strength is truly formidable, and we cannot simply charge back without a fight,"

he said, still holding his steel whip, his voice lowered. Hearing the change in his tone, his junior brothers thought Jin Xianyu was about to change his mind and became indignant. Just as they were about to speak, Jin Xianyu quickly preemptively shouted, "The mastermind behind the deaths of my Yuanxiong Fortress this time is none other than that seemingly amiable but actually treacherous Shi Jian. Just by looking at how he never grows tall, you can tell he's incredibly cunning. Heaven didn't give him a height that's presentable!"

"Yes, yes... Senior Brother is right..."

Hearing Jin Xianyu's scathing denunciation of Shi Jian, everyone felt a sense of satisfaction. After all, it was still unknown whether the person just now was Yang Rouyi, but Shi Jian was the sole culprit in the deaths of Quanjizhong, and he was the person everyone hated the most.

Especially Shi Jian's childlike, perpetually small stature, was a frequent topic of jokes even when Quan Jizhong was alive. Those who served Quan Jizhong heard it countless times, whether in public or among master and disciple. Hearing Jin Xianyu mention it now, and thinking of Shi Jian's appearance, they couldn't help but laugh in anger. Miraculously, their laughter calmed the atmosphere in the temple considerably.

"That scoundrel was born with such an unsightly appearance, yet he dares to come out and embarrass himself. I don't know how he developed such a thick skin..."

"A shameless little dwarf dares to roam the martial world, truly shameless... I wonder how he practiced martial arts? He's managed to turn himself into this! — My senior brother was right when he said he was cunning and scheming... Heaven should have killed him long ago!"

"What's even funnier is that someone with that appearance married such a beautiful wife, Jie Mingyan, who is a great beauty!"

"Isn't that right? That name 'Flowing Jade Night Frost' isn't for nothing. Her skin is as soft and smooth as flowing jade, her beauty as serene and alluring as the frost of the night moon. She's only fit to remain indoors, melting away in the sunlight. I heard that Yang Lao Si once pursued her, but who would have thought that Shi Jian used some strange methods to win her heart? With Shi Jian's cunning and scheming, he must have used some underhanded means... Hmm, maybe Yang Lao Si betrayed the Mighty Heaven Alliance because he resented Shi Jian's wicked methods. This whole mess is all Shi Jian's fault!" "

That makes sense. Otherwise, with a beauty like 'Flowing Jade Night Frost' Jie Mingyan, she should have chosen a strong and powerful man like her master as her husband. Liu Lao—and Yang Lao Si are both quite skilled in martial arts. According to common sense, why would she choose Shi Jian, who looks like a child, as her husband?"

"Yes, yes... but that name 'Flowing Jade Night Frost,' I really don't know where some pedantic scholar came up with it. That... that 'skin as soft and smooth as flowing jade, elegant and charming as the cold frost of the night moon,' it doesn't sound like something a martial arts person would write..."

"Sigh, it's not just martial arts people who want to pursue Jie Mingyan. I heard that a corrupt official from the imperial court once tried to coerce her, but he was so scared by the Mighty Heaven Alliance that he got his pants wet and fled back in a sorry state, only daring to use some pedantic language to describe her. But that description is really beautiful... I never imagined that someone could describe someone so beautifully with words, amazing, amazing..."

"In comparison, while Madam Ji is also a beauty, she's much colder. Just looking at her in her martial attire and carrying a sword, anyone other than martial artists would be scared off if they wanted to pursue her. Otherwise, her looks wouldn't be much less than Jie Mingyan's, so why doesn't she have officials pursuing her? But that old ghost Ji who died long ago was also quite good-looking. Speaking of which, although Shao Xueqian chose him instead of her master, her taste wasn't that bad... It's a pity her taste wasn't good enough. If she had married her master, things wouldn't be like this now."

Listening to everyone's chatter, which seemed to have drifted off into other topics, Jin Xianyu couldn't help but sigh and shake his head, unable to discern the truth.

As the saying goes, those who are not in a position should not concern themselves with politics. These idle commentators didn't seek any real understanding, relying only on hearsay and imagination to concoct a bunch of dubious things.

There are so many fools who love to listen to this kind of baseless speculation. I don't know if they're just bored or what, but they believe whatever they hear. If they keep talking nonsense like this, who knows what kind of rumors will spread?

If they weren't all his own people, Jin Xianyu wouldn't have listened anymore. As the eldest disciple, he wasn't completely ignorant of what happened to his master and the others back then!

No matter how far they went or how unbelievable their stories became, Jin Xianyu wouldn't clarify anything.

First of all, dealing with Yixin Garden was the biggest problem right now. The more everyone talked nonsense, the further they strayed from the truth, but it was still better than forcing him to confront Shi Jian directly. — Come on, everyone changed the subject. Even if a few people saw through his sincerity and didn't want to deal with Shi Jian right now, they couldn't steer the conversation back on track. After all, it's only human nature to talk nonsense to satisfy one's imagination.

As the conversation subsided, it became clear that even the most outrageous talkers had their limits, and as everyone gradually came to their senses, Jin Xianyu spoke up: "In my opinion, to deal with that scoundrel, we... perhaps need to consult with Qilan Manor first, and only by joining forces can we effectively deal with this scoundrel... otherwise, turning an ally into an obstacle wouldn't be good for Yuanxiong Fortress!"

"But Senior Brother... wasn't the murderer who killed Senior Brother just now Yang Rouyi?"

Hearing Jin Xianyu say this, some of the junior brothers fell into deep thought. After all, Wu Yu had never gotten along well with Yuanxiong Fortress, only their hatred wasn't as deep as Shi Jian's.

The others, however, didn't think so much and simply spoke up, "That bastard Shao Xueqian treats Yang Rouyi like her own daughter-in-law, protecting her like crazy. If we join forces with Qilan Manor and deal with that scoundrel Shi Jian, how are we going to avenge our senior brother?"

"Sigh..."

Jin Xianyu shook his head and sighed, not expecting to have to explain something so obvious, and also let out the sigh of frustration in his heart.

With the current strength of Yuanxiong Fortress, dealing with Shi Jian was really beyond their capabilities. The road to revenge was still long! "Could it be... that you really think that the black-clad man who killed our senior brother just now was that immature girl Yang Rouyi?"

"Didn't she... admit it herself?"

Seeing Jin Xianyu glaring at him, the junior brother who spoke opened his mouth, still trying to maintain his composure, but his tone was not so certain.

He himself knew that even ignoring the fact that the man in black's voice was clearly a man mimicking a woman's voice, revealing his true identity as a man, his martial arts skills alone were enough to tell.

Even with the meticulous instruction of Yang Ting, Yang Rouyi was still young; it would be remarkable if her skill could rival Park Jong-seo's. But the man in black, in terms of cunning, martial arts prowess, and timing, was a top-tier martial artist, perhaps even surpassing Quan Jizhong. Yang Rouyi simply didn't possess such skill.

However, his junior brother had previously chased after Yang Rouyi with Kim Hyun-woo, only to be met with a tough challenge from Wu Yu. He remembered that Yuanxiong Fortress had started encountering problems around that time, so naturally, he harbored no goodwill towards Wu Yu.

Although he knew that if he openly stated that he wanted to deal with both of them at the same time, everyone knew that Yuanxiong Fortress's current strength would be far from sufficient, but sooner or later he would have to turn against Wu Yu. He originally wanted to run into a snag with Jin Xianyu, and his anger towards that person was even harder to suppress. Who would have thought that Jin Xianyu would be so calm and even take the initiative to suggest joining forces with Wu Yu?

"Even if... even if she didn't do it herself, the fact that that person kept mentioning Yang Rouyi's name clearly means that it must be related to her. Instead of us spending our own time figuring out who the murderer is, why don't we... why don't we use this as a reason to force Qilan Manor to find the murderer? We can save some effort..."

Seeing that not only Jin Xianyu, but even some of his senior brothers and junior brothers were looking at him like he was an idiot, the man opened his mouth and barely managed to continue, but his voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

He knew it was just a desperate struggle, but to save face, he couldn't just shut up. "Otherwise, the world is so vast, when will we ever find the killer to avenge ourselves?" He

secretly spat. Jin Xianyu knew his junior brother was just struggling, and might even forget the reason he'd made up in desperation, but he couldn't deny that the reason was indeed valid.

Even setting aside saving his own energy, just considering the black-clad man's martial arts prowess, if he could bring either Wu Yu or Shao Xueqian to his side, they'd have a better chance of winning.

Relying solely on Yuanxiong Fort's own strength, even if they could avenge themselves, the losses would be countless—not worth it!

"That...is indeed an idea, but priorities vary,"

Jin Xianyu pondered for a moment before finally coming up with a reason to persuade him. "Shi Jian set a trap to kill my master, and he harbors treacherous intentions towards my Yuanxiong Fortress. He absolutely cannot be let off lightly. He is the confirmed target and the first murderer to be killed. As for that man in black...although it's difficult to discern his identity from his martial arts, his skills are no less than those of Yang Ting and Ma Xuan. He is most likely an important figure in the Shadow Sword Sect. Since the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, we must devise a clever plan to lure him out of hiding...In my opinion, it would be better to first find a way to eliminate Shi Jian, and then join forces with Qilan Manor to deal with the Shadow Sword Sect..."

"Then... are we just going to let that wretched girl Yang Rouyi get away with it?"

Hearing Jin Xianyu say this, many of the junior brothers present nodded, seemingly convinced by Jin Xianyu's words. One junior brother couldn't help but get anxious and hurriedly spoke up, "She is Yang Ting's adopted daughter, and her relationship with the Shadow Sword Sect is different. She must be a spy left by the Shadow Sword Sect in the Mighty Heaven Alliance. If we let her go free and keep leaking information to Yang Ting, how can we fight this battle? Could it be that—Senior Brother thinks we can just talk our way out of it and get Shao Xueqian to hand over this daughter-in-law?"

"Of course not."

Seeing that the crowd's emotions, which had been so hard to calm down, were stirring again, Jin Xianyu couldn't help but get slightly angry.

He didn't really want Yang Rouyi to get away with it. This woman had made his pursuit futile and caused him to lose face in front of Wu Yu. He also wanted to teach her a lesson, but without concrete evidence of her collusion with Yang Ting, dealing with Yang Rouyi, who was under the protection of Shao Xueqian and others, would be quite difficult!

"What we lack now is just evidence. Once we find evidence that Yang Rouyi is Yang Ting's spy, Shao Xueqian will find it difficult to protect her anymore. But the most important thing now is to concentrate our strength to deal with that bastard Shi Jian. As for Yang Rouyi... let's leave her for now!"

Seeing that his junior brother was about to argue, Jin Xianyu couldn't help but get angry. He had to suppress his temper to avoid exploding. Right now, he just wanted to get everyone to rest quickly so that they could return to Yixin Garden after dawn and contact Shao Xueqian to decide on their next move. Why waste time arguing about these pointless things?

"When dealing with the Shadow Sword Sect, we'll eventually find evidence. Before we catch her red-handed, how can our prestigious Yuanxiong Fortress lay a hand on a mere girl? It would only tarnish our reputation. Anyway, once the Shadow Sword Sect is destroyed, she won't escape either."

Although the reasoning might not be convincing, this arrogant and condescending way of speaking suited the tastes of the Yuanxiong Fortress members perfectly.

Several days had passed since Quan Jizhong's death, and the junior disciples felt a mix of unfamiliarity and emotion. After all, Quan Jizhong had always spoken this way, and they were used to it, both in public and private. They thought they wouldn't hear such words again after Quan Jizhong's death, but now, hearing Jin Xianyu's words, it felt like the old feeling of trampling other sects underfoot had returned. Excited, they no longer had any objections to Jin Xianyu's words.

"If that's the case,"

seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, as if they had listened to him, and even the junior brother who had been arguing finally learning to shut up, Jin Xianyu finally felt relieved. "Everyone, rest well here and recharge your energy. Tomorrow morning, we'll return to Yixin Garden in style. As the saying goes, a desperate army is bound to win. Only with this kind of momentum can we suppress that bastard Wu Yu and avoid being taken advantage of during our cooperation. Everyone, remember to show your most energetic side. No one can afford to be low-spirited and damage our prestige, understand?"

Hearing the commotion outside, the people in the hall who were discussing the various possible scenarios of the confrontation with the Shadow Sword Sect were startled.

Zhu Yuhan and Ji Mengying reacted the fastest, their longswords already in hand. However, seeing that Shao Xueqian and Xie Mingyan merely furrowed their brows slightly, not even touching their swords, and Wu Yu remained completely still, slowly sipping his tea as if the aroma of the tea was more enticing than the noise outside, Zhu Yuhan and Ji Mengying felt a flush rise in their cheeks, realizing they had been far too tense.

With Ji Pingyi having overseen the rearrangements outside, Yixin Garden's defenses, while not impenetrable, wouldn't allow an enemy to approach so close unnoticed. Presumably, the intruders were friends, not enemies. However, when Ji Pingyi walked in with a furrowed brow, although he didn't seem as tense as if he had encountered an enemy, something was still amiss. Even Shao Xueqian couldn't maintain complete composure; her expression remained unchanged, but her voice trembled slightly. "Why is it so noisy outside?"

"The people from Yuanxiong Fortress have returned..."

With his brows tightly furrowed, Ji Pingyi rested his chin on one hand, seemingly deep in thought, while his other hand remained firmly on the hilt of his sword.

If the intruders were enemies like the Shadow Sword Sect, it wouldn't be so bad. At most, they could put up a fight. Relying on the terrain of Yixin Garden, the defenses he had previously set up, and the traps and mechanisms that Wu Yu had also contributed to, even if they were outnumbered, it wouldn't be easy for the enemy to win.

But now it was Yuanxiong Fortress. Although they weren't exactly on good terms because of Quan Jizhong's death, they weren't exactly enemies. Even Ji Pingyi had to be cautious about attacking them. Unfortunately, the disparity in numbers meant that if he didn't strike first, he would be at their mercy.

"You've only been gone a few days, and you're back here so soon? Has something changed? What did Lord Park Jong-seo say?"

Seeing Ji Pingyi's hesitation, Wu Yu smiled faintly, "Young Master, don't worry. Although Yuanxiong Fortress has many people and great power, it is still a reputable sect. They need a reason to take action. Even if there are changes in the arrangements for Lord Quan's encoffining, they won't act without giving a reason..."

Hearing Wu Yu say this, Shao Xueqian's expression changed, her cherry lips moved slightly, and she almost cursed out loud.

Originally, she said she would stay behind and watch over the people of Yuanxiong Fortress to prevent them from being attacked by the Shadow Sword Sect. However, Wu Yu appeared in her room again last night without her noticing, making her dizzy and confused. She even forgot to ask him why he had returned so early. However, when she saw Xin Wanyi with Wu Yu this morning, she seemed to have done nothing. Her appearance made Shao Xueqian both confused and angry, but she couldn't find an opportunity to ask him in detail.

Before she could even process the effort she had put into concealing Wu Yu's absence from Yixin Garden these past few days, all of it seemed to have gone to waste. Just thinking about the journey back to Yuanxiong Fortress, she wondered if the Shadow Sword Sect would be watching them. If Yang Ting seized this opportunity, she wondered how many of them would be able to return safely to Yuanxiong Fortress. A bitter feeling welled up in Shao Xueqian's heart.

Although Quan Jizhong had been ruthless towards her, showing none of the humility expected of sworn brothers, a brother was still a brother. Seeing him die at Shi Jian's hands filled Shao Xueqian with sorrow. If even his descendants couldn't be protected, she truly couldn't bear to face Ji Yuan in the afterlife, even though she, having already committed adultery, had no face left to see him… But now, the people of Yuanxiong Fortress had returned. Judging from Ji Pingyi's appearance, he didn't seem to want to fight her, but rather had other matters troubling him. Shao Xueqian's heart trembled slightly.

Thinking of Wu Yu's mysterious return, and how he had previously asked her and Xin Wanyi to conceal his absence, even from Jie Mingyan and Ji Pingyi, could he be secretly plotting something? The thought of Xin Wanyi's perfect understanding with him, while she was all alone, caused Shao Xueqian's heart to ache. "Pingyi, what exactly happened?"

"Senior Brother Jin Xianyu returned carrying the coffin."

Frowning, Ji Pingyi shook his head. He hadn't expected such a major event to occur on the way back to Yuanxiong Fortress with the coffin! He had initially thought Wu Yu was resourceful and perhaps had already foreseen what would happen, which explained his relaxed demeanor in the hall. However, judging from his words just now, it was clear that he was unaware of the matter either.

Ji Pingyi was alarmed. Since Quan Jizhong's death, he had sensed that some conspiracy was brewing. He had thought he could rely on Wu Yu's wisdom, but it turned out that Wu Yu was not omniscient. It seemed that he would have to rely on himself in the future. "On the way... Senior Brother Park was ambushed and killed on the spot. The opponent used a sword..."

"Oh?"

Putting the cup back on the table, the teacup slid away with a thud. He had to reach out to catch it to prevent it from breaking. Clearly, although Wu Yu spoke calmly, he was also shocked by the news. However, Ji Pingyi didn't pay much attention to him. Her gaze shifted to Yang Rouyi's face beside her. She saw that the latter's pale, slender hands were gripping the edge of the table to steady her swaying body.

Seeing Yang Rouyi like this, Ji Mengying quickly comforted her. Shao Xueqian breathed a sigh of relief. She could also see why Yang Rouyi was so shocked. In fact, ever since she pulled her away from the watchful eyes of Quanji, Shao Xueqian had noticed that although Ji Pingyi tried to comfort her, Yang Rouyi's face grew paler day by day. No matter when, her eyes were always filled with tears, but she refused to speak. It was unknown what she was struggling with inside.

Although Shao Xueqian wanted to comfort her, she couldn't truly untangle the knot in her heart if Yang Rouyi wouldn't speak, especially since she herself had many things to attend to!

And just at this crucial moment, this kind of news arrived.

At this instant, besides Yixin Garden and Qilan Manor, only the Shadow Sword Sect had the potential to launch a surprise attack on Yuanxiong Fortress. However, Shi Jian of Yixin Garden used his palm, not his sword, and the people of Qilan Manor were all remaining in Yixin Garden. Only the Shadow Sword Sect had the strength to use a sword against Park Jong-seo.

Jie Mingyan and the others could all see this, and naturally knew that Yang Rouyi's pale face and lack of collapse were already a great pity. Yet, Jin Xianyu, returning with the coffin, only sought trouble with Yang Rouyi besides Shi Jian. Thinking of the formidable enemy at hand, and the fact that these people from Yuanxiong Fortress only knew how to ruthlessly target the young girl, even Jie Mingyan couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"Greetings, everyone. Is Third Master Shi here?"

Following Ji Pingyi in, Jin Xianyu, dressed in hemp clothing and with a stern expression, didn't even glance at Yang Rouyi, who was biting her lip and holding back tears. Seeing that Shi Jian wasn't in the hall, he bowed respectfully in all directions, his manner unusually polite. This surprised Shao Xueqian, who knew his usual behavior well, and she almost thought she had mistaken him for someone else.

However, upon closer inspection of Jin Xianyu's expression, she noticed that despite his stern face, he seemed relieved to see Shi Jian absent. Although he didn't show it on his face, just looking at his face gave Shao Xueqian a feeling that Jin Xianyu didn't want to face Shi Jian so soon.

She should have been relieved, but she was even more alarmed. Yuanxiong Fort had suffered repeated blows recently. Both Shi Jian and Yang Rouyi were thorns in the side of Jin Xianyu and his men, who wanted nothing more than to get rid of them. Shi Jian's martial arts were extremely high; at least for now, Jin Xianyu wasn't confident he could handle him. If he wanted to answer to the people of Yuanxiong Fort, why wouldn't he target Yang Rouyi? It seemed her troubles were about to begin.

"Since the death of the Fort Master, Third Master Shi has been heartbroken over the loss of his brother and is currently in seclusion. Apart from Madam Shi, no one else can see him,"

Jie Mingyan said, her body trembling slightly, her expression hesitant. Everyone understood her concerns. After all, Quan Jizhong had died at Shi Jian's hands. Although he was also heartbroken and had been in seclusion, to the people of Yuanxiong Fort, he was still the enemy who killed the Fort Master. Jin Xianyu, dressed in mourning, came in looking for Shi Jian—what good could it be? Wu Yu quickly spoke up on his behalf, asking, "What brings you here, Nephew Jin?"

"On our way back to Yuanxiong Fortress with our master's coffin, we were overtaken by bandits from the Shadow Sword Sect. My senior brother was unfortunately killed. Now, all affairs of Yuanxiong Fortress are being handled by Xianyu."

Hearing Wu Yu address him as "Nephew," which was a significant demotion, Jin Xianyu would have been furious and taken action in the past. However, things were different now. Although he was still angry, he knew that he bore a heavy responsibility and could not let momentary anger ruin the overall situation.

"One of the reasons Master Shi attacked my late master was his alleged collusion with the Shadow Sword Sect. Now, with my master's body barely cold, the Shadow Sword Sect has already stormed our fortress, clearly proving that this reason is baseless. As the prefect of this fortress, I, Xianyu, cannot allow our reputation to be tarnished. Therefore , I have come to ask Master Shi for an explanation."

Although Jin Xianyu's words were polite, and his demeanor was no longer as impulsive and arrogant as before, his calm tone was exceptionally cold and stern. The aura of swords seemed to be crushed in his mouth before being spat out, causing Jie Mingyan's delicate body to sway, seemingly unable to withstand such an intimidating tone. Yet, Jin Xianyu's words were reasonable, and even Wu Yu found it difficult to refute.

He gave Shao Xueqian a barely perceptible shrug, which made the latter shake her head slightly, knowing she couldn't help Jie Mingyan. Now, she could only ask Shi Jian to emerge from seclusion early to see if he could resolve the matter.

"This... it's not that Mingyan doesn't believe my nephew's words, but this matter is of great importance. My husband was in great pain when he cleansed the household that day, and he is still in seclusion in his quiet room, unwilling to show himself. I really don't want to disturb him before his mood changes,"

Mingyan said, gritting her teeth and bowing deeply. "The matter of Nephew Park's death is of great importance. I wonder if Nephew Kim could explain it in detail, so that I can have a better understanding..."

"Of course..."

Hearing Kim Hyun-woo not making excuses but calmly and objectively recounting the events of that day, Mingyan listened attentively on the surface, but felt even colder inside.

The saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Even after taking over the position of the master of Yuanxiong Fortress, Jin Xianyu's temperament couldn't change so quickly. But now he explained the events of that day without any hesitation. Unless he had truly changed his nature, he must have a deep hatred for Shi Jian. Because the hatred was so deep in his bones, he didn't need to show it on the surface. This kind of resentment made Xie Mingyan, who had more experience in the martial arts world than Jin Xianyu, secretly shudder. It was difficult enough for her to just calmly listen to him finish speaking.

"May I... perhaps I could see your senior brother's remains?"

After listening to Jin Xianyu recount the events at the ancient temple, his words deliberately emphasizing the fact that the black-clad man had used Yang Ting's direct lineage swordsmanship, Wu Yu hesitated for a long time before speaking. "Although I've already fought a few battles, I truly have no idea about the strength of those from the Shadow Sword Sect. If I have more opportunities to probe their strength, it will be easier when I seek revenge in the future. I hope Nephew Jin will be lenient, since to deal with Nephew Park alone, they will have to use their true abilities. This time, we should be able to confirm the enemy's strength."

"This... of course."

Hearing Wu Yu's words, Jin Xianyu almost choked on his words.

To make his visit seem justified, Jin Xianyu deliberately attributed the black-clad man's attack to Yang Ting of the Shadow Sword Sect. In fact, he hadn't been able to discern what kind of swordsmanship the black-clad man had used that day.

If it were just talk, that would be fine, but if others saw Park Jong-seo's body, everyone in the hall was an old hand; how could they not see the truth behind the swordsmanship?

"It's just that the man in black was extremely cunning. Although there was a trace of Yang Ting in his swordsmanship, it wasn't very clear. Hyun-woo only managed to confirm the man in black's identity after careful reflection... Judging from that person's skill, it certainly wasn't Miss Yang."

"Of course,"

when she heard Kim Hyun-woo say that the person had impersonated Yang Rouyi and deliberately made his voice sound eerie in order to succeed in one strike, Shao Xueqian's heart almost jumped out of her chest.

If she hadn't known that Yang Rouyi had been staying in her room these past few days, her face strangely pale, and that the Yang Ting incident must have been a huge blow to her, keeping her confined to Yixin Garden, and given Yang Rouyi's martial arts skills, how could she possibly have killed Park Jong-seo among the experts of Yuanxiong Fortress? She would have been afraid she wouldn't have a reason to exonerate Yang Rouyi. Now that Kim Hyun-woo himself had spoken up, how could she not agree and help clear Yang Rouyi's name? "Rouyi hasn't gone out at all these past few days!"

"Perhaps... we should check Park Hyun-seo's body first. After all, it's a rare opportunity to figure out the enemy's abilities, and we can't let Park Hyun-seo die in vain, can we?" With

a slight shift in her gaze, Wu Yu almost couldn't help but smile.

Shao Xueqian, blinded by concern, disregarded the fact that Yang Rouyi genuinely lacked the skill. Just considering the arrogance of the Yuanxiong Fortress group, she knew they would never admit the murderer was someone of their own generation. To create such a commotion, Yuanxiong Fortress would have had to be personally visited by Yang Ting or Ma Xuan; otherwise, how could they save face?

After examining Park Jong-seo's corpse, the group returned to the hall and sat down according to their roles as host and guest. Wu Yu shook his head first.

"The sword techniques on Nephew Park's corpse are too ordinary, so simple and direct that it's difficult to determine the style. Clearly, the enemy came prepared, not intending for us to discern their skills from the corpse… However, this is also a characteristic; after all, to conceal one's sword techniques so well requires profound skill!"

"Although the enemy intends to kill my senior brother, they are still cunning and treacherous, deliberately concealing their abilities, which is not unimaginable..."

Hearing Wu Yu say this, Jin Xianyu felt slightly relieved, realizing that his deliberate concealment had not been exposed. "Xianyu is of dull talent, and it is difficult to fathom even a fraction of the enemy's abilities from just their swordsmanship. Now, after hearing what Brother Wu has said, I suddenly understand how deep and treacherous the enemy's schemes are. If we continue to fall apart, we will only be defeated one by one by the enemy. The main reason I came here today is not only to ask Master Shi for an explanation, but also to reaffirm our previous alliance. If those scoundrels from the Shadow Sword Sect come to our door, our fortress is willing to stand with Qilan Manor through thick and thin, and we swear not to return home until we avenge my senior brother."

Hearing Jin Xianyu say this, Shao Xueqian was both happy and worried.

To his delight, Jin Xianyu was surprisingly sensible. Although he was completely different from his usual self, having such a strong ally reassured him. However, Jin Xianyu's words clearly excluded Yixin Garden, indicating that Quan Jizhong's death had deepened the rift between Yixin Garden and Yuanxiong Fortress to an irreparable degree. If things continued this way, with Yuanxiong Fortress as their strong ally, they would lose Shi Jian's support. Considering all this, it was unclear whether this would be a blessing or a curse for Qilan Manor.

"Lord Jin's kindness is deeply appreciated by both Madam Ji and me."

Hearing Jin Xianyu's words, Wu Yu smiled and nodded approvingly, even changing his form of address.

Although Jin Xianyu repeatedly said he didn't dare accept the title of Lord Jin, his expression was at least much better than when he was addressed as "nephew" earlier.

"Next, we should cooperate well to uphold the name of our Mighty Heaven Alliance... However, the enemy's attack was so sudden that they immediately fled into the distance. This kind of attack is truly difficult to defend against. Unless there is a master to hold the line, dispersing our forces will only give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage. Why don't you lead the group to stay behind first, and we can discuss how to arrange our defenses to deal with the enemy?"

"Thank you, Brother Wu, and thank you, Madam."

Hearing Wu Yu say this, Jin Xianyu vaguely guessed that Wu Yu's so-called cooperation was probably also aimed at Shi Jian.

After all, Wu Yu had witnessed what happened that day and was aware of Shi Jian's far-reaching plans and cunning schemes. As a retainer of Qilan Manor, he would not neglect this powerful enemy who was so close at hand unless he was preoccupied with something else. "It is the fortress's duty to join forces to fight the enemy, but before that... regarding the matter of our late master's death, Xianyu still needs to ask the Third Madam to lead the way so that we can ask Master Shi for an explanation."

"This..."

Seeing Jie Mingyan still hesitating, Wu Yu spoke softly, "Please ask the Third Madam to lead the way. After all, if this matter is not resolved, the rift between Yixin Garden and Yuanxiong Fortress will be difficult to bridge, which will not be good for future cooperation... The dead are gone. As long as Master Shi San comes forward to clarify the matter, with a formidable enemy at hand, I think Fortress Master Jin will not make excessive demands, right? Please ask the Third Madam to do this favor!"

He nodded with difficulty, which was considered a promise to Jie Mingyan. In fact, on the way back, what troubled Jin Xianyu the most was easing the people of his fortress's eagerness for revenge.

After all, while Shi Jian was an enemy, the Shadow Sword Sect, lurking in the shadows, was an even greater sworn enemy. Moreover, there was still a chance to delay things on Shi Jian's side. The Shadow Sword Sect's attack on Park Jong-seo, especially their underhanded tactics, had truly enraged the usually upright and honorable people of Yuanxiong Fortress. Their efforts along the way had come at a price; perhaps the mysterious intervention of the man in black had been helpful. At least back here, the people of Yuanxiong Fortress could accept temporarily refraining from seeking revenge on Shi Jian.

Seeing Kim Hyun-woo nod, this unspoken pressure was even more terrifying than the previous aggressive pronouncements. Jie Mingyan finally managed to stand up and led everyone through the garden to the small hut.

Beside the hut were lush trees, especially a large, towering tree whose leaves remained green even in winter. Clearly, the Blood Toad Tree, transplanted here, hadn't suffered any acclimatization problems and was thriving.

After knocking several times, the door of the small hut remained unmoved, showing no sign of opening. Jie Mingyan sighed, turned around, and looked on the verge of tears. "These past few days... it's been like this. Even the food sent through this little hole in the door hasn't been touched.

Yesterday, Mingyan finally couldn't bear it anymore and forced her way in, but her husband was nowhere to be seen. It seems that her husband, heartbroken by the death of her fifth brother, has gone out to clear his mind.

Until he returns, could you please wait a moment? I think... he should be back soon."

"What?"

Jin Xianyu, who had been waiting impatiently at the door, managed to suppress his impatience. After all, if Shi Jian really showed up, he really wouldn't know what to do.

If Shi Jian were to obediently admit his mistake, perhaps he could still suppress the commotion among the disciples in the fortress. However, if the two sides were to truly reach a stalemate and fight broke out, firstly, there might not be anyone in Yuanxiong Fortress who could handle Shi Jian's "Endless Flood" Qimen Divine Palm—and secondly, Wu Yu might not help his side in such a self-destructive conflict.

Although there was a tacit understanding in their previous words, the lack of a private agreement between the two sides always made him uneasy. Now that Shi Jian was nowhere to be found, Jin Xianyu felt a sense of unease, though he also felt a sense of relief.

"Could it be... that the Shadow Sword Sect's pursuit of Senior Brother is also related to Master Shi? It's truly unbearable, unbearable..."

Although he felt relieved, he couldn't admit it aloud. Jin Xianyu feigned a slight anger as he spoke, even though he himself didn't believe such a thing.

After all, of Shi Jian's three disciples, only Rao Qianyi died from Quan Jizhong's last attack before his death. The deaths of Taishi Xuan and Situ Xiang were both inextricably linked to the Shadow Sword Sect. Taishi Xuan even died a gruesome death. Even if Shi Jian wanted to use a self-inflicted injury ruse, the price was far too high.

However, Quan Jizhong had been falsely accused by Shi Jian of colluding with the Shadow Sword Sect. Now that he finally had a chance to retaliate, Jin Xianyu was naturally blunt. Even if Wu Yu or Shao Xueqian found reasons to refute it later, at least he had given Shi Jian a satisfying reply. "Master Shi's disappearance... is rather coincidental. If Master Shi doesn't come forward to clarify this matter quickly, Xianyu may not be able to silence the gossip. I urge Third Madam to keep an eye on this matter..."

Hearing the growing threat in Jin Xianyu's words, Jie Mingyan, though usually gentle and calm, was inevitably provoked. However, Shi Jian's disappearance was indeed too coincidental. Even though he had lost all his disciples and was forced by circumstances to personally clean up his own sect, resulting in the loss of his sworn brother, he mysteriously vanished just when Yixin Garden and Qilan Manor were facing a formidable enemy who could come knocking at any moment. Although she knew that Shi Jian occasionally liked to disappear for a day or two to relax or think about things, how could he dare to do this under the current circumstances? Even Jie Mingyan found it hard to understand. Despite her anger, she only dared to vent it on Shi Jian and had nothing to say to Jin Xianyu's aggressive behavior.

"Rumors stop with the wise. Master Jin is now a leader, and to set an example for his followers, he should be more careful with his words..."

Seeing Mingyan's face gradually turn red, her cherry lips tightly bitten, she looked pitiful, wanting to curse but not daring to utter a sound. Even Shao Xueqian was about to speak up to help, but Wu Yu quickly spoke up to defuse the situation, "It's just that Third Master Shi really left at the wrong time... When Third Master returns, please inform him, Third Madam."

"Isn't that right?"

Although his face turned red from Wu Yu's words "rumors stop with the wise," Jin Xianyu cursed inwardly: Where did you say that when you were framed by Shi Jian in Quanji? But Wu Yu's next words were directed at Shi Jian. On the surface, they weren't very sharp, but upon closer inspection, they were probably even more intense than his own words.

If it weren't for the fact that the man in black used a sword instead of a palm strike, which didn't match Shi Jian's usual style of martial arts, he might have almost mistaken the two for each other. As for the previous relationship between Park Jong-seo and Shi Jian, he naturally forgot about it for the time being.

"What bad timing! I only knew the power of 'Endless Torrents,' but I wonder how Master Shi's swordsmanship is?" " My lord

has no knowledge of swordsmanship,"

although Kim Hyun-woo spoke without any anger, a less quick-witted person might have thought he was just bringing up Shi Jian's martial arts, but Xie Mingyan had already been provoked by his words, and with a preconceived notion, she naturally understood Kim Hyun-woo's implied meaning, "Among the sworn brothers of yesteryear, besides the deceased Brother Ji, it was Brother Yang's... swordsmanship that was the most superb, but my lord's mind was focused on 'Endless Torrents,' and his other martial arts were not very good, let alone swordsmanship..."

"Master Jin, there's no need to worry. Third Master Shi truly doesn't know swordsmanship. I played a few games of chess with him before and observed his palms. Judging from the calluses, he's spent his entire life practicing on his palms and has never learned swordsmanship. After all, the marks left on the palms of those who practice swordsmanship and those who practice palm techniques are quite different. You can see the difference if you look closely."

With a slight smile, Wu Yu deliberately glanced at Ji Pingyi beside him and Yang Rouyi, whose face had turned pale, before continuing to explain, "Although Third Master's disappearance was ill-timed, he most likely just went to relax. He's definitely not the black-clad man who single-handedly entered the tiger's den to ambush Nephew Park. Everyone can guarantee that..."

"Hmph!"

Jin Xianyu snorted coldly but didn't say anything more.

Firstly, Wu Yu's words make sense. The reason why Shi Jian's "Endless Torrent" is so powerful is not only because of its strength, but also because of Shi Jian's perseverance in cultivating it. If he really had a way to cultivate another sword technique, not to mention whether he could hide it from others, just the distraction would affect the power of his palm. Secondly, although the man in black was deliberately concealing himself, no matter how he concealed himself, he could not completely change his figure. The man in black was of normal height. With Shi Jian's appearance of never growing up, he could not fake it.

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